F.I 


13 1  w  1 


SHELDON  DOWNS 


• 


"  1  will  never  build  up  my  own  fortune  by  robbing  my  neighbor." 
Frontispiece  Page  231 


j  IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXJCXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

II" 


STEP  BY  STEP 

A  Story  of  High  Ideals 


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By 

MRS.  GEORGE  SHELDON  DOWNS 

Author  of  **  Katharine's  Sheaves  " 


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M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW  f ORK 


VSBQBQSOQQ^^ 


COPYRIGHT,    1906 

.      .      .      .        BY        .... 

G.  W.  DILLINGHAM 
C    O    M    P  A  NJY 

ISSUED   AUG.,   1906 

ENTERED      AT 
STATIONERS'    HALL 


STEP     BY     STEP 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Chapter  I 9 

Chapter  II 20 

Chapter  III 35 

Chapter  IV 47 

Chapter  V 59 

Chapter  VI 68 

Chapter  VII 81 

Chapter  VIII 98 

Chapter  IX 108 

Chapter  X 122 

Chapter  XI 144 

Chapter  XII 157 

Chapter  XIII 172 

Chanter  XIV 184 

Chapter  XV 200 

Chapter  XVI 219 

Chapter  XVII 232 

Chapter  XVIII 247 

Chapter  XIX 260 

Chapter  XX 273 

Chapter  XXI 288 

Chapter  XXII 308 

Chapter  XXIII 320 


2135345   ; 


Step    by    Step 

A  Story  of  High  Ideals 


CHAPTER   I 

IT  was  a  great  day  in  the  thriving  Itfew  Hamp- 
shire town  of ,  the  long-anticipated  day  of  the 

County  Fair;  an  important  event,  interesting  alike 
to  old  and  young,  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  who, 
with  one  accord,  yearly  wended  their  way  toward 
the  spacious  grounds  set  apart  for  this  purpose,  and 
abandoned  themselves,  for  the  time  being,  to  the  en- 
joyment of  the  various  attractions  prepared  for  their 
entertainment  and  profit. 

As  the  hour  appointed  for  the  racing — the  great 
feature  of  the  occasion — drew  near,  streams  of  pe- 
destrians poured  into  the  enclosure,  while  vehicles 
of  every  description,  filled  with  gay  and  eager  sight- 
seers, rolled  in  through  the  wide  gateway,  and  sought 
favorable  vantage  ground  from  which  to  overlook  the 
track  and  the  approaching  equine  contests  for  speed 
and  purse. 

Just  outside  the  great  gate  a  boy  of  perchance 
twelve  summers  might  have  been  seen  kneeling  upon 
the  ground,  close  beside  the  high  board  fence,  his 
right  eye  peering  through  a  convenient  knot-hole^ 


10  STEP  BY  STEP 

where,  apparently  oblivious  to  all  else,  he  was  ab- 
sorbed in  watching  the  animated  scene  within  that 
charmed  enclosure,  and  from  which,  for  lack  of  the 
price  of  a  ticket,  he  was  pitilessly  debarred. 

He  was  a  sturdy-looking  youth,  straight  as  a  young 
Indian  and  well  formed,  but  very  poorly  clad;  so 
conspicuously  shabby,  indeed,  that  he  seemed  a  gro- 
tesquely incongruous  figure  thrust  upon  that  festive 
scene,  and  would  have  made  a  quaintly  pathetic  sub- 
ject for  the  skillful  brush  of  even  the  immortal  and 
prolific  Hurillo,  who  so  vividly  portrayed  the  gamin 
of  the  streets. 

His  clothing  was  badly  faded  and  worn,  gener- 
ous patches  adorning  both  elbows  of  his  jacket;  his 
trousers,  of  a  different  material,  had  evidently  been 
made  for  an  older  boy  and  had  seen  prolonged  and 
active  service,  as  numerous  rents  and  many  intri- 
cate stitches  abundantly  testified;  while  the  broken 
and  discolored  straw  hat,  which  had  slipped  from  his 
well-shaped  head  and  lay  unheeded  on  the  ground 
beside  him,  gave  evidence  of  several  season's  wear 
and  tear  in  both  storm  and  shine. 

He  wore  no  shoes  or  stockings,  and  his  deeply 
tanned  ankles  and  travel-stained  feet  showed  many 
a  cruel  callous  and  stone-bruise. 

But  at  the  present  moment  neither  discomfort  nor 
ehabbiness  appeared  to  cause  him  the  least  concern, 
for  he  was  lost  to  all  thought  of  self  in  his  contem- 
plation of  the  enthralling  scenes  on  the  other  side 
of  that  high  board  fence,  and  doubtless  would  have 
held  undisputed  possession  of  that  blessed  knot- 


STEP  BY   STEP  11 

hole  for  an  indefinite  period  but  for  an  incident, 
which,  though  of  no  special  significance  at  the  time, 
was  destined  to  have  an  important  influence  both 
upon  the  boy's  own  life  and  the  future  of  others. 

Presently  a  handsome  carriage,  drawn  by  a  pair 
of  sleek,  beautiful  thoroughbreds,  black  as  Erebus 
and  resplendent  in  silver-mounted  harness,  rolled  up 
to  the  gate  and  came  to  a  stop. 

There  were  four  people  in  the  vehicle.  A  fine- 
looking  man  with  his  fourteen-year-old  son  occupied 
the  front  seat,  and  a  richly  dressed  lady  with  a 
dainty  little  miss  of  ten  sat  behind  them. 

While  the  gentleman  was  searching  his  pockets 
for  his  stockholder's  pass  a  gust  of  wind  suddenly 
whisked  the  hat  from  the  golden  head  of  the  pretty 
maiden  and  whirled  it,  with  seeming  design,  straight 
down  upon  the  ragged  urchin  by  the  fence. 

"  Oh,  papa,  my  hat !  "  exclaimed  a  sweet,  childish 
voice,  whereupon  the  startled  boy  on  the  ground 
turned  a  bronzed  face  and  a  pair  of  great,  surprised 
browTn  eyes  upon  the  occupants  of  the  carriage,  just 
as  a  second  flurry  caught  up  the  tasteful  combination 
of  flowers  and  ribbons  and  sailed  away  in  another 
direction  with  it. 

The  lad  on  the  front  seat  started  up,  and  was 
about  to  spring  to  the  earth  in  pursuit  of  the  fugi- 
tive head-gear,  when  the  ragamuffin  at  the  knot-hole 
called  out  cheerily: 

"  Hold  on,  there !     I'll  get  it" 

Springing  to  his  feet  he  darted  off  like  a  flash  and 
succeeded  in  capturing  the  fluttering  finery  a  few 


\2  STEP  BY   STEP 

rods  away,  when  running  swiftly  baek  to  the  car- 
riage, he  passed  it  up  to  its  youthful  owner  with  a 
smile  and  an  air  of  triumph  that  betrayed  not  a 
little  pride  in  view  of  his  athletic  achievement  on  her 
behalf. 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you.  And,  oh,  my !  can't  you 
run!"  cried  the  appreciative  girl,  as  her  dancing 
blue  eyes  looked  down  into  his,  so  big  and  brown, 
and  a  pair  of  rose-hued  lips  smiled  hearty  approval 
of  his  timely  service. 

"  You  certainly  did  make  very  good  time,  my 
boy;  here's  a  dime  for  your  trouble,"  observed  the 
gentleman,  as  he  leaned  forward  to  pass  him  the 
coin. 

But  the  youth  drew  back  a  pace  or  two,  flushing 
to  his  brows  as  his  glance  fell  upon  the  piece  of 
silver. 

"  You  are  welcome,  sir,"  he  gravely  replied. 

"  And  you  won't  take  the  money  ?  "  questioned 
the  man,  a  note  of  surprise  in  his  tone. 

"  No,  sir ;  thank  you,"  and  the  look  the  boy  lifted 
to  the  pretty  child  on  the  back  seat  plainly  indicated 
that  he  felt  amply  rewarded  by  merely  having  been 
allowed  to  serve  her. 

The  gentleman  regarded  him  curiously. 

He  had  a  good  face,  with  clear,  frank  eyes  that 
looked  straight  back  at  him,  thus  bespeaking  innate 
honesty  and  purity,  while  there  was  an  earnestness 
in  their  depths  which  indicated  that  he  possessed 
an  unusually  thoughtful  nature  for  one  of  his  years ; 
and  the  owner  of  the  handsome  equipage  was  im- 


STEP  BY   STEP  13 

pressed  that  he  was  no  ordinary  boy,  notwithstand- 
ing his  generally  forlorn  and  poverty-stricken  ap- 
pearance. 

"  Would  you  like  to  earn  a  quarter  ?  "  he  inquired 
with  sudden  inspiration  and  a  suggestive  emphasis 
upon  the  verb. 

"  You  can  bet  I  would,  sir,"  was  the  quick  re- 
sponse, the  clear  young  voice  thrilling  with  boyish 
eagerness. 

"  Well,  then,  I  want  some  one  to  watch  my  team 
while  we  visit  the  exhibition  hall.  Trot  inside  the 
grounds  and  follow  the  carriage.  Let  this  boy  pass," 
the  gentleman  concluded,  with  a  nod  to  the  gate- 
keeper, as,  having  produced  his  pass,  he  chirruped 
to  his  horses  to  go  on. 

The  youth  needed  no  second  bidding.  He  made 
a  vigorous  dive  for  his  own  hat,  jammed  it  down 
upon  his  head,  and  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence 
in  a  trice,  every  nerve  in  his  active  young  body  tin- 
gling with  delight  in  view  of  the  rare  good  fortune 
that  had  so  unexpectedly  come  to  him — to  have  a  free 
pass  to  the  County  Fair  and  an  opportunity  to  earn 
a  quarter  besides ! 

"  Why,  papa,  you  don't  need  anyone  to  watch 
the  team !  "  exclaimed  the  lad  in  the  carriage,  and 
turning  an  astonished  look  upon  his  father. 

"  I  know  it,  Ted ;  but  the  little  vagabond  was  long- 
ing with  all  his  heart  to  see  the  show — he  wouldn't 
take  the  dime  for  recovering  Gipsy's  hat,  so  I  had 
to  make  an  occasion ;  see  ?  "  and  Theodore  Lawrence, 
Sr.,  smiled  significantly  into  the  face  of  his  son, 


14  STEP  BY  STEP 

who  returned  him  a  comprehensive  nod  and  began 
to  whistle  softly  to  himself — a  habit  of  his  when 
specially  pleased  over  anything. 

Miss  Gipsy — more  decorously  christened  Mar- 
garet Churchill  Lawrence — reached  forth  a  plump 
hand  and  fondly  patted  the  stalwart  shoulders  in 
front  of  her,  and  lovingly  cooed  "  dear  Popsy !  "  thus 
expressing  her  appreciation  of  her  father's  tactful 
kindness. 

It  was  noticeable  that  on  this  same  plump  hand 
there  gleamed  a  very  pretty  turquoise  ring  which 
the  happy  child  regarded  with  affectionate  compla- 
cency during  the  operation;  then  lifting  her  eyes  to 
her  mother  she  continued,  with  a  sigh  of  supreme 
content : 

"  Isn't  it  just  the  sweet-est  ring,  mamma  2  Such 
a  lovely  birthday  gift,  and  just  what  I  wanted." 

Mr.  Lawrence  drove  to  a  hitching  rail  inside  the 
grounds,  where,  after  assisting  his  family  to  alight, 
he  fastened  and  unchecked  his  horses.  Then,  turn- 
ing to  his  protege,  who  was  close  at  hand,  he  in- 
quired : 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  horses,  my  boy  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir;  I've  helped  take  care  of  them  at  the 
farm." 

"What  farm?" 

"The— er— the  farm  where  I've  lived."  The 
lad's  face  grew  suddenly  scarlet  as  he  faltered  over 
his  reply,  and  to  conceal  his  embarrassment  he  bent 
to  brush  a  wisp  of  hay  from  the  foreleg  of  the  off 
horse. 


STEP   BY   STEP  15- 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  pursued  Mr.  Lawrence. 

"  Louis  Arnold,  sir." 

"  Well,  Louis,  you  can  watch  around  to  see  that 
no  one  meddles  with  the  team  while  we  take  a  look 
at  the  exhibits  in  the  hall;  then  you  shall  have  an 
opportunity  to  see  the  sights,"  and  with  this,  Mr. 
Lawrence  and  his  family  went  their  way,  leaving 
the  young  stranger  in  charge  of  his  valuable  team. 

Evidently  the  boy  was  very  fond  of  horses,  for 
he  at  once  became  absorbed  in  a  critical  inspection 
of  the  beautiful  span  committed  to  his  care. 

"  My !  but  you  are  a  dandy  pair  of  beauties !  "  he 
exclaimed  admiringly  and  with  shining  eyes,  as  he 
walked  slowly  around  them,  patting  their  sleek 
haunches,  smoothing  their  glossy  manes,  slapping, 
here  and  there,  at  a  tantalizing  fly,  and  confidentially 
keeping  up  his  flattering  commendations,  as  if  he 
were  talking  to  intelligent  companions  who  could 
understand  and  appreciate  every  word  he  uttered. 

Half  an  hour  later,  while  he  was  still  faithfully 
watching  at  his  post,  Ted  Lawrence  suddenly  re- 
appeared upon  the  scene. 

"  Hello !  "  he  observed  by  way  of  salutation  as  he 
bestowed  a  friendly  nod  upon  the  boy. 

"  Hello !  "  echoed  Louis,  while  his  observing  eyes 
took  a  comprehensive  sweep  over  the  trim  figure  of 
the  rich  man's  son. 

"  You  can  take  a  run  around  the  grounds,  if  you 
want  to,  and  I'll  stay  with  the  team  till  you  come 
back,"  continued  Ted  genially. 

Louis  flushed  with  pleasure,  and  his  eyes  lighted 


26  STEP  BY   STEP 

•with  eagerness  for  an  instant.  Then  hie  quietly 
replied : 

"  Guess  I  won't." 

"Why?" 

"  'Cause." 

"That  doesn't  mean  anything;  it's  a  girl's  rea- 
son," observed  Ted,  with  slightly  scornful  emphasis. 
"  I  thought,  by  the  way  you  were  sticking  to  that 
knot-hole  awhile  ago,  you  were  just  dying  to  see  the 
show." 

"  That's  right — I  was,"  briefly  responded  Louis, 
as  he  deftly  rearranged  the  displaced  forelock  of  the 
horse  nearest  him. 

"  Then  why  don't  you  take  your  chance  when  it's 
offered  you  ?  "  demanded  Ted. 

"  Your  father  left  me  here  to  look  after  these 
black  beauties  till  he  came  back." 

"  But  don't  you  suppose  I  could  do  that  just  as 
well  as  you  ?  "  queried  Ted,  with  an  undertone  of 
asperity  in  his  voice. 

"  Course  I  do,"  assented  the  youthful  hostler,  pro 
tern.,  with  convincing  emphasis,  "  but — that  wasn't 
in  the  bargain,  you  know." 

"  Oh !  "  ejaculated  the  elder  boy,  looking  enlight- 
ened, but  bestowing  a  glance  of  surprise  upon  the 
stranger,  as  if  he  had  not  expected  such  a  point  of 
honor  from  him. 

Then,  as  his  eyes  fell  upon  Louis'  bruised  and  cal- 
loused feet,  he  inquired  irrelevantly: 

"  How'd  you  get  knocked  up  like  that  ?  " 

"  Frogging  it  down  the  mountains." 


STEP   BY   STEP  17 

"  Where  from  ?  " 

"  From— the  farm." 

"  Your  father's  farm  ?  " 

"  No.  I  haven't  any  father,"  said  the  boy  stoic- 
ally, as  he  toyed  with  a  buckle  and  strap  of  the  har- 
ness. 

"  NOT  mother  either  ?  "  pursued  Ted,  with  a  no- 
ticeable softening  of  his  curious  tone  as  he  viewed 
the  rags  and  patches  on  the  boy's  clothing. 

Louis  slowly  shook  his  head  without  replying;  but 
the  sudden  contraction  of  his  brow  and  suspicious 
quivering  of  his  round  chin  betrayed  that  a  very 
tender  spot  had  been  touched  by  the  question. 

Ted  felt  a  choking  lump  rising  in  his  own  throat 
as  he  observed  these  signs  of  conscious  bereavement. 
It  must  be  mighty  hard  for  a  fellow  to  get  along 
without  his  father  and  mother — especially  his  mother 
• — lie  thought  sympathetically. 

"  You  ought  to  have  a  stout  pair  of  shoes  before 
you  go  back,"  he  hastened  to  remark,  to  get  away 
from  the  harrowing  topic,  meanwhile  making  a  men- 
tal inventory  of  a  plentiful  supply  of  foot-gear  that 
was  stored  away  in  his  closet  at  home. 

"  I'm  not  going  back,"  was  the  brief  rejoinder. 

Ted  eyed  him  curiously  for  a  moment,  then  pursed 
up  his  lips  and  gave  vent  to  a  softly  prolonged 
whistle. 

"I'll  bet  you're  a — runaway!"  he  impulsively 
exclaimed. 

A  vivid  scarlet  suffused  his  companion's  face,  and 
a  startled  look  shot  into  his  great  brown  eyes  as  he 


i8  STEP  BY  STEP 

glanced  tearfully  around  to  assure  himself  that  no 
one  had  overheard  the  observation. 

Then  he  retorted,  with  a  sudden  burst  of  temper: 

"  S'pose  I  am !     It — it  isn't  anybody's  business." 

Ted  exhibited  signs  of  discomfiture  at  this  unex- 
pected shot.  He  had  not  meant  to  give  offense,  hav- 
ing spoken  upon  the  impulse  of  the  moment.  Pres- 
ently he  said,  in  a  conciliatory  tone : 

"  You  needn't  fire  up  like  that.  L  wouldn't  give 
you  away  even  if  I  knew  you  were.  I  couldn't  be 
hard  on  a  fellow  who  is  down  in  his  luck,  you 
know." 

The  hot  color  faded  out  of  Louis'  face  as  quickly 
as  it  had  come,  and  with  a  somewhat  crestfallen  air 
he  apologetically  observed: 

"  All  right — I  guess  you're  O.  K. ;  but — do  you 
Relieve  in  '  luck  '  ?  "  Evidently  he  wished  to  change 
the  subject. 

"Yes;  don't  you?" 

"  No;  there  isn't  any  such  thing." 

"  I  say — you're  a  queer  kind  of  chap,"  Ted  gravely 
remarked;  then  drawing  nearer  the  boy  and  regard- 
ing him  with  curious  interest  he  added :  "  I  should 
think  /  was  having  mighty  hard  luck  if  I  were  in 
your  place.  What  do  you  call  it  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  believe  in — God  ?  "  Louis  inquired, 
with  apparent  irrelevance. 

Now  Ted  was  a  prominent  choir-boy  in  a  fashion- 
able Episcopalian  church,  where  his  parents  were 
regular  attendants,  and  he  had  been  reared  to  de- 
voutly espouse  its  creed,  forms  and  ceremonies; 


STEP   BY  STEP  19 

• 

therefore  he  replied,  with  emphatic  assurance,  not 
unmixed,  however,  with  perplexity: 

"  Of  course  I  believe  in  God." 

"  Well,  then,  what  is  He  and  where  is  He  ? " 

Ted's  eyes  grew  big  and  his  wonder  increased. 

"  Why,"  he  returned,  after  thinking  a  moment, 
"  God  is — is  all,  and  He  is  everywhere,  don't  you 
know  ?  " 

"  Then  where  does  your  '  luck  '  come  in  ?  "  soberly 
demanded  Louis. 

"  Well ! — that  beats  me !  You  are  the  queerest 
fellow  I  ever  saw !  "  Ted  ejaculated,  with  a  laugh  of 
mingled  amusement  and  embarrassment,  as  he  saw 
the  point;  and  just  at  that  moment  Mr.  Lawrence, 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  daughter,  appeared 
upon  the  scene,  thus  putting  an  end  to  the  discussion 
of  the  youthful  theologians. 


20  STEP   BY   STEP 


CHAPTER   II 

"  AH,  Ted,  we  were  wondering  what  had  become 
of  you,"  his  father  remarked,  as  he  drew  near  the 
boys.  "  Evidently  you  were  not  specially  interested 
in  fruits,  flowers,  vegetables,  and  the  handicraft  of 
ladies." 

"  No,  sir ;  I  didn't  care  much  for  the  things  in  the 
hall,  so  thought  I'd  come  and  stay  with  the  team 
and  give  Louis  a  chance  to  look  around,  but  he  said 
that  wasn't  in  the  bargain  and  he  wouldn't  go  till 
you  came  back;  so  we've  been  having  a  talk,"  Ted 
explained. 

Mr.  Lawrence  bent  a  searching  look  upon  the 
young  stranger.  What  his  son  had  told  him  greatly 
impressed  him  in  his  favor,  while,  as  he  studied  his 
fine  face  and  noted  his  sedate,  respectful  manner,  he 
felt  that,  under  right  conditions,  he  would  be  likely 
to  develop  into  a  man  who  would  honor  whatever 
calling  he  might  choose. 

"  I  wonder  who  the  little  ragamuffin  is,"  he  mused, 
as  he  drew  a  handful  of  silver  from  a  pocket,  and 
selecting  the  promised  "  quarter  "  therefrom,  passed 
it  to  the  boy. 

"  Here  is  your  money,  young  man,  and  I  like  the 
•way  you  stick  to  a  bargain,"  he  said,  with  an  ap- 
proving smile.  "  Now  go  and  have  a  good  time,  and 


STEP   BY   STEP  21 

if  you  love  horses,  as  I  think  you  do,  you  will  see 
some  fine  specimens  on  the  track  pretty  soon." 

Louis  doffed  his  battered  hat  and  thanked  his  kind 
patron  with  a  beaming  face  as  his  brown  fingers 
closed  eagerly  over  the  precious  piece  of  silver  which 
he  had  earned,  and  which  seemed  almost  a  mine  of 
wealth  to  his  unaccustomed  eyes. 

He  was  on  the  point  of  bounding  off  to  seek  some 
vantage  point  from  which  to  view  the  racing,  when 
Miss  Gipsy  approached  him  and  bashfully  tendered 
a.  sizable  and  well-filled  paper  bag. 

"  Do  you  like  candy  ?  "  she  shyly  inquired.  "  I 
bought  this  for  you." 

The  lad  crimsoned  to  the  tips  of  his  ears  as  with 
a  diffident  "  Thank  you !  "  he  doffed  his  hat  again 
and  accepted  her  gift;  then  he  slipped  away  and 
was  quickly  lost  among  the  crowd. 

"  Well,  there  goes  an  interesting  enigma  which  I 
would  like  the  privilege  of  studying  for  awhile,"  Mr. 
Lawrence  remarked,  as  he  assisted  his  wife  into  the 
carriage,  then  lightly  swung  his  daughter  in  beside 
her. 

"  Humph !  he's  got  wheels  in  his  upper  story," 
Ted  asserted,  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders,  as  he 
sprang  to  his  own  place  on  the  front  seat  with  his 
father. 

"  Wheels !  "  repeated  Mr.  Lawrence.  "  What  do 
you  mean  by  that  ?  " 

Ted  gravely  rehearsed  the  recent  conversation  with 
his  new  acquaintance.  It  appeared  to  have  left  a 
deep  impression  on  his  mind. 


22  STEP  BY  STEP 

"  Turned  preacher,  did  he  ?  and  doesn't  believe 
in  luck,"  said  the  gentleman,  with  an  amused  laugh, 
when  he  concluded.  "  Well,  I  devoutly  hope  his 
radical  ideas  on  that  point  will  not  interfere  with  the 
success  of  our  trotter,  Ben  Bolt,  when  he  takes  his 
turn  on  the  track  this  afternoon." 

"  Oh,  he  ought  to  be  our  mascot  instead,  papa, 
because  you  were  so  good  to  him,"  his  daughter  here 
interposed. 

"  It  is  pretty  evident  what  your  attitude  is  regard- 
ing the  question  under  discussion,"  her  father  ob- 
served, as  his  twinkling  eyes  met  those  of  his 
wife. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  popsy,"  said  the 
child,  looking  puzzled. 

A  general  laugh  followed  her  remark. 

"  What  do  you  know  about  mascots,  pet  ?  "  ques- 
tioned Mr.  Lawrence  in  a  mirthful  tone. 

"  Why,  I've  heard  you  talk  about  mascots  lots  of 
times,  and  of  course  I  know  you  mean  they  are  things 
that  bring  you  good  luck;  so  now! "  and  the  empha- 
sis upon  the  last  two  words  plainly  indicated  that  the 
"  pet "  of  the  family  had  not  quite  relished  the  laugh 
at  her  expense. 

"  Well,  you  have  vindicated  yourself,  sweetheart 
— you  are  developing  every  day,"  the  man  fondly 
returnee^  "  However,  our  youthful  tramp  has  raised 
quite  a  point  and  is  a  queer  problem.  He  behaves 
like  a  little  gentleman,  betrays  a  very  nice  sense  of 
honor,  gives  us  a  theological  discourse  in  a  nutshell, 
yet  looks  like  a  veritable  beggar  just  out  of  the  slums. 


STEP  BY   STEP  23 

I  really  would  like  to  know  his  history,"  he  thought- 
fully concluded. 

Later  they  caught  sight  of  him  standing  by  the 
judges'  pavilion,  one  arm  thrown  around  a  post  that 
supported  it,  his  flushed,  eager  face  betraying  keen- 
est interest  and  enjoyment  as  he  watched  the  flying 
eteeds  upon  the  race-course. 

They  looked  for  him  again  when  all  was  over,  and 
they  were  slowly  driving  off  the  grounds ;  but  he  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen,  and  each  experienced  a  sense  of 
disappointment,  for  the  interesting  though  unfortu- 
nate boy  had  appealed  strongly  to  the  sympathies  of 
the  entire  family,  while  Mr.  Lawrence  had  been  seri- 
ously considering  a  plan  to  help  him  in  some  prac- 
tical way. 

They  had  covered  only  a  short  distance  of  their 
homeward  way  when  Gipsy  suddenly  sent  forth  a 
most  plaintive  wail. 

"  Oh,  mamma !  I  have  lost  my  lovely  ring,  and 
my — my  birthday  is  spoiled !  "  she  cried ;  and  the 
startling  announcement  ended  with  a  heartbroken 
burst  of  tears  and  sobs. 

"  Your  birthday  ring,  dearie  ?  It  was  a  little  large 
for  you.  But  don't  worry — I  can't  think  it  is  lost ; 
it  must  be  somewhere  in  the  carriage,"  said  her- 
mother  reassuringly,  while  Ted  immediately  began 
a  vigorous  search  for  the  missing  treasure  among  the 
mats  on  the  floor,  Gipsy  assisting  him  as  well  as  she 
was  able,  with  the  crystal  drops  raining  from  her 
pretty  eyes. 

But  the  ring,  with  its  daintily  set  turquoise  stones, 


24  STEP  BY   STEP 

which  her  father  had  slipped  upon  her  finger  that 
morning  in  honor  of  her  tenth  birthday,  was  not  to 
be  found,  even  though,  after  reaching  home,  they 
all  diligently  sought  it  and  both  robes  and  rugs  were 
thoroughly  shaken. 

The  child  was  inconsolable.  A  pretty  ring  had 
been  a  long-coveted  possession,  and  to  lose  it  on  the 
very  day  it  was  given  her  seemed  a  terrible  affliction. 
Mr.  Lawrence,  however,  finally  aroused  a  faint  hope 
of  its  recovery  by  promising  to  have  her  loss  adver- 
tised in  the  daily  paper  of  the  town. 

While  Louis  Arnold  was  standing  by  the  judges' 
pavilion,  wholly  unconscious  of  his  surroundings,  or 
of  aught  save  the  sport  in  which  he  had  become  com- 
pletely absorbed,  a  carriage  containing  a  gentleman 
and  lady  came  slowly  along  the  drive  and  paused, 
almost  opposite  the  spot  where  he  was  stationed,  to 
allow  another  team  to  pass. 

"  Look  at  that  boy !  "  exclaimed  the  lady,  calling 
the  attention  of  her  companion  to  the  animated  face 
and  tensely  poised  figure  by  the  post. 

The  man  gave  a  short  laugh  as  his  glance  fell  upon 
the  forlorn  little  waif,  and  then  something  prompted 
him  to  lean  out  of  the  carriage  to  observe  the  lad 
more  closely. 

At  that  instant  Louis  turned  and  looked  straight 
at  the  couple  in  the  vehicle.  The  laugh  had  attracted 
his  attention. 

"  By  George !  "  suddenly  ejaculated  the  gentle- 
man, with  a  violent  start,  as  he  met  the  great  brown 
eyes  upraised  to  his,  while  instantly  the  ruddy  color 


STEP  BY   STEP  15 

in  his  face  faded  to  a  sickly  hue.  "  Get  up !  "  he 
added  sharply  to  his  horse,  and  driving  on. 

"  Why,  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  inquired  his  com- 
panion, regarding  him  with  evident  surprise. 

"  Oh,  nothing,"  was  the  would-be  indifferent  re- 
joinder. "  It  struck  me  that  the  youngster  was  a 
somewhat  incongruous  element — an  unsightly  blot 
thrust  upon  this  festive  scene — that's  all."  But  he 
did  not  immediately  regain  his  color  or  composure. 

The  lady  sighed  softly  as  they  passed  on,  and 
at  length  stopped  before  the  grand  stand,  where 
she  alighted  and  was  conducted  to  a  reserved  seat, 
while  her  husband  went  to  put  up  his  team  before 
rejoining  her.  A  few  minutes  later  he  might  have 
been  seen  in  close  proximity  to  the  "  incongruous 
element — the  unsightly  blot,"  studying  his  brown 
face  with  lynx-eyed  scrutiny. 

"  Have  some  peanuts  ?  "  he  queried  in  an  off-hand 
tone,  as  he  passed  Louis  a  bag  from  which,  appar- 
ently, he  had  been  eating  as  he  approached  the  spot. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  as  he  took  a  modest 
handful,  and  thought  how  good  everybody  had  been 
to  him  that  day. 

"  What's  your  name,  youngster  ? "  pursued  the 
newcomer,  after  watching  him  closely  but  covertly 
for  awhile.  He  was  a  man  upwards  of  fifty  years, 
above  the  average  height,  stout  of  figure,  florid  in 
complexion,  assured  in  his  bearing,  and  possessed  a 
rather  attractive  though  shrewd  face  and  keen,  rest- 
less gray  eyes.  He  was  well  dressed,  wore  a  small 
but  flawless  diamond  in  his  necktie,  and  gave  one 


26  STEP  BY   STEP 

the  impression  of  being  in  most  prosperous  circum- 
stances. 

"  Louis  Arnold,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  in  reply  to  his 
inquiry. 

"  You  look  like  some  one  I  once  knew.  What  was 
your  mother's  name  before  she  married  your  fa- 
ther ?  "  the  stranger  continued,  but  his  lips  were  not 
quite  steady  as  he  put  the  question. 

"  Annie  Judkins,  sir." 

The  man  drew  a  quick  breath,  and  again  the 
ruddy  color  was  swept  out  of  his  face. 

"  I — I  used  to  know  some  one  by  the  name  of — 
Judkins;  but  that  was  before  I  left  England,"  he 
remarked,  with  some  hesitation. 

"  My  mother  lived  in  England  once.  Do  you 
think  you  ever  knew  her? "  eagerly  questioned 
Louis. 

The  man  grew  paler  than  before. 

"  No ;  the  person  I  refer  to  was  a — man,"  was  the 
somewhat  hasty  reply.  "  Where  do  you  live  ?  "  he 
demanded  after  a  moment. 

"  I  haven't  any  home  now.  ^I've  been  living  up 

in ,  but  I'm  trying  to  get  a  place  as  chore-boy," 

Louis  explained,  adding,  with  an  eager  thrill  in  his 
young  voice :  "  Do  you  know  of  anybody  who  wants 
one?" 

1 1  don't  think  I  do,"  returned  the  man,  now  flush- 
ing hotly.  Then  he  queried  sharply :  "  Have  you 
no  father  or  mother  ?  " 

"  No,  nor  anybody  to  take  care  of  me,"  was  the 
pathetic  rejoinder. 


STEP  BY  STEP  27 

Again  the  man  caught  his  breath  and  shot  a  look 
of  dismay  upon  the  forlorn  figure  beside  him. 

"  Have  some  more  peanuts,"  he  said,  after  an 
awkward  pause.  "  Take  them  all — I  do  not  care 
for  any  more." 

He  thrust  the  bag  into  Louis'  hand,  hesitated  an 
instant,  as  if  about  to  make  some  further  remark, 
then  turned  abruptly  away  and  walked  toward  the 
grand  stand;  but  there  was  a  strained  expression 
in  his  eyes,  and  he  moved  like  a  person  dazed  by 
some  terrifying  shock  or  unlooked-for  revelation. 

Two  weeks  later  Benjamin  Weston,  a  well-to-do 
farmer,  who  resided  on  the  outskirts  of  one  of  Bos- 
ton's beautiful  suburban  towns,  was  returning  home 
late  one  afternoon  from  his  customary  visit  to  the 
post-office,  when  he  came  suddenly  upon  a  boy 
stretched  prone  upon  the  ground  by  the  road- 
side, not  more  than  a  stone's  throw  from  his  own 
door. 

"  Well,  youngster,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  have 
chosen  a  pretty  hard  bed.  Why  are  lying  here  at 
this  time  of  the  day  ?  "  he  questioned,  as  the  lad 
wearily  lifted  his  head  at  the  sound  of  steps,  and 
bent  a  wistful  look  upon  the  man. 

"  I'm  just  resting,"  briefly  returned  the  wayfarer, 
as,  with  a  sigh,  he  dropped  back  to  his  former  posi- 
tion. 

"  Resting  1  What  have  you  been  doing  to  make 
you  give  out  like  this  on  the  road  2 "  demanded  the 
farmer. 

"  Tramping." 


20  STEP  BY  STEP 

"  Tramping !  You  look  rather  young  to  be  in  that 
kind  of  business.  Where  do  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  New  Hampshire." 

"  H'm !  That  is  quite  a  walk  for  a  boy  of  your 
size,  sure  enough.  Been  on  the  way  long  ?  " 

"  'Most  three  weeks." 

"  Where  are  you  bound  for  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir ;  I've  been  trying  to  hire  out 
all  the  way  down,  but  nobody  wants — 

The  youth  choked  suddenly,  and  turned  his  face 
away  from  the  keen  eyes  that  were  thoughtfully 
studying  him. 

"  H'm !  "  again  ejaculated  the  man,  bending  a 
glance  of  compassion  upon  the  forlorn  figure  lying 
at  his  feet.  "  You  look  to  me  as  if  you'd  been  tramp- 
ing on  an  empty  stomach,  at  least  for  to-day.  Sup- 
pose you  come  home  with  me  and  fill  up  before  you 
go  on." 

Louis  Arnold — for  the  youthful  wanderer  was 
none  other  than  Mr.  Lawrence's  interesting  protege 
at  the  recent  county  fair  in  New  Hampshire — started 
to  his  elbow,  an  intensely  yearning  expression  in  his 
large  brown  eyes  as  he  pathetically  returned : 

"  You  are  very  good,  sir,  and  I — I  am  hungry." 
But  he  flushed  with  shame  as  he  reluctantly  admitted 
the  fact 

"  Well,  well,  boy ;  then  come  on.  There's  always  a 
bite  in  mother's  pantry  for  hungry  folks,  and  maybe 
we  can  find  you  a  more  comfortable  place  to  rest 
your  tired  body  in  for  the  night,"  said  the  farmer, 
with  a  sympathetic  inflection  that  went  straight  to 


STEP  BY   STEP  29 

Louis'  heart,  putting  new  life  in  him,  and  bringing 
him  to  his  feet  almost  before  the  man  ceased  speak- 
ing. 

But  he  looked  pale  and  gaunt  from  long  fasting 
and  the  many  other  trying  experiences  of  the  last 
two  weeks.  His  eyes  were  heavy  and  sunken  from 
excessive  weariness,  and  his  clothing  was  even  more 
soiled,  tattered,  and  worn  than  when  we  last  saw 
him. 

It  was  but  a  few  steps  to  the  farmhouse,  and  as 
they  drew  near  the  porch  outside  the  kitchen  a  fine 
collie  sprang  up  with  a  quick,  sharp  bark  of  warn- 
ing. 

"  It's  all  right,  Ponce,"  said  his  master  reassur- 
ingly, whereupon  the  intelligent  creature  walked 
deliberately  up  to  Louis,  looked  gravely  into  his  face 
for  a  moment,  then  wagged  his  feathery  tail  in  hos- 
pitable welcome. 

Directing  his  guest  to  sit  down  on  the  porch  for  a 
moment,  Mr.  Weston  disappeared  within  the  house, 
and  the  boy  dropped  wearily  upon  the  steps,  feeling 
as  if  he  never  wanted  to  move  again. 

A  little  later  a  cheery,  motherly  woman  came  out 
to  him,  and  Louis  loved  her  from  the  instant  that 
she  smiled  kindly  into  his  tired  eyes. 

"  I'm  told  there's  a  hungry  boy  out  here,"  she 
observed  in  pleasant,  sprightly,  tones.  "  What's  his 
name,  I  wonder  ?  " 

"  Louis  Arnold,  marm." 

"  Well,  Louis,  come  in  with  me  and  we'll  see  if 
we  can't  make  that  aching  void  a  dream  of  the  past," 


30  STEP  BY   STEP 

she  said,  with  a  little  rippling  laugh  that  immedi- 
ately made  his  heavy  heart  grow  lighter. 

He  followed  her  inside  the  immaculate  kitchen, 
where  he  saw  one  end  of  a  table  laid  with  a  white 
cloth  and  spread  with  a  bountiful  supply  of  cold 
meat,  bread  and  butter,  a  glass  of  milk,  and  a  gener- 
ous piece  of  freshly  baked  apple  pie. 

"  Sit  right  down,  my  boy,  and  help  yourself.  It 
is  a  little  early  for  our  supper,  but  I  could  not  keep 
you  waiting,"  Mrs.  Weston  cordially  enjoined,  while 
she  studied,  without  appearing  to  do  so,  the  tired 
face  of  her  youthful  visitor. 

Louis  hesitated,  and  appeared  embarrassed. 

"  Please — may  I  wash  my  hands  first  ?  "  he  quer- 
ied diffidently. 

"  Of  course  you  may.  Why  didn't  I  think  of  that 
myself?"  and  the  good  woman  whisked  a  shining 
basin  from  its  hook  above  the  sink,  brought  him  soap 
and  a  clean  towel,  then  made  an  errand  from  the 
room  to  relieve  him  of  the  awkwardness  of  perform- 
ing his  ablutions  in  her  presence. 

He  gave  his  face  and  hands  a  thorough  wash,  then, 
drawing  a  small  comb  from  a  pocket,  arranged  his 
tumbled  locks  in  a  tidy  manner,  after  which  he  sat 
down  to  the  first  really  ample  and  wholesome  meal 
that  he  had  eaten  for  many  a  long  day ;  and  it  was  a 
delectable  feast  to  the  half-starved  boy. 

He  was  left  alone  for  half  an  hour,  when  Mrs. 
Weston,  followed  by  her  husband,  returned  to  the 
kitchen  to  find  him  fast  asleep  in  his  chair,  the  collie 
sitting  close  beside  him,  his  beautiful  head  resting 


STEP  BY   STEP  31 

upon  the  boy's  knee.  Evidently  the  two  had  lost  no 
time  in  becoming  good  friends. 

Louis  awakened  and  started  up  in  confusion  as  the 
door  opened,  and  Mrs.  Weston's  face  wore  a  very 
compassionate  expression  as  she  remarked : 

"  I  know  somebody  who  would  be  glad  to  tumble 
into  bed  this  very  minute,  and  there's  just  the  place 
for  him  in  a  little  room  over  the  wood-shed.  You'll 
need  a  good  bath  first,  so  father'll  take  up  a  pail  of 
water  for  you  and  show  you  the  way ;  and  " — laying 
a  folded  garment  on  the  tabl&r — "  here's  a  clean  night- 
gown for  you.  Now,  goodnight,  and  you  are  to  have 
your  breakfast  here  in  the  morning." 

She  began  clearing-1  the  table  as  she  concluded, 
while  Louis,  with  a  tremulous  "  Thank  you,  marm," 
followed  the  farmer  from  the  room. 

His  bath  refreshed  and  rested  him.  It  was  a  lux- 
ury he  had  not  enjoyed  since  he  started  out  on  his 
long  tramp,  while  the  spotless  night-gown  and  clean 
bed — what  a  treat  they  were ! 

He  slept  as  only  a  tired-out  boy  can  sleep,  and  was 
awakened  at  dawn  by  the  crowing  of  a  deep-voiced 
Brahma  cock  that,  coming  forth  betimes,  proudly 
proclaimed  the  fact  beneath  his  chamber  window. 

Slipping  out  of  bed,  Louis  was  quickly  dressed, 
then  drawing  from  the  deep  inside  pocket  of  his 
shabby  jacket  a  small  black-covered  book,  and  taking 
it  to  the  window,  he  read  a  couple  of  pages  from  it, 
after  which  he  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hand,  and 
bowed  his  head  for  a  few  moments  in  a  reverent  atti- 
tude. 


32  STEP  BY  STEP 

When  these  simple  devotions  were  over  he  stole 
noiselessly  from  his  room  and  the  house,  curious  to 
take  a  look  at  his  surroundings  and  the  abode  that 
had  sheltered  him  for  the  night,  and  which  he  had 
been  too  weary  to  observe  when  the  farmer  took 
him  in. 

The  Weston  homestead,  a  comfortable,  roomy  man- 
sion, was  beautifully  located  upon  an  extensive  lawn 
which  sloped  gently  toward  the  road  and  was  bor- 
dered by  a  row  of  noble  old  elms.  Back  of  this  there 
were  a  spacious  barn,  carriage  house,  and  other  out- 
buildings, while  on  every  hand  there  was  an  air 
of  orderliness,  stability  and  thrift  which  indicated 
not  only  an  abundance  of  means,  but  good  manage- 
ment, and  a  desire  for  attractive  surroundings  as 
well. 

Louis'  eyes  turned  wistfully  toward  the  barn,  for 
he  dearly  loved  all  animals,  and  he  had  already  taken 
a  few  steps  in  that  direction  when  he  caught  sight 
of  a  great  wood-pile,  with  a  chopping-block  beside  itr 
in  the  back-yard  opposite  the  kitchen  door. 

He  paused,  thought  a  moment,  then  went  back 
into  the  shed,  whence  he  presently  emerged  again 
with  a  hatchet  in  hand,  and  the  next  minute  was 
vigorously  at  work  reducing  such  sticks  of  wood  as 
he  could  conveniently  handle  to  available  fuel. 

Thus  Farmer  Weston  found  him  when,  a  little 
later,  he  came  forth  from  the  house  with  several  shin- 
ing pails  in  his  hands  to  attend  to  the  morning  milk- 
ing. 

"  Good  morning,  Louis,"  he  called  out  in  a  hearty 


STEP  BY   STEP  33 

tone,  and  with  an  approving  glance  at  the  deftly 
wielded  hatchet.  "  I  guess  you've  taken  a  hand  at 
that  kind  of  work  before." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  had  to  chop  wood  every  day  at  the 
farm." 

"Whose  farm?" 

"  Er — the — the  poor-farm,  where  I've  been  liv- 
ing," replied  the  boy,  with  scarlet  cheeks,  but  evi- 
dently determined  to  tell  the  truth  about  himself  to 
his  new  friend. 

"  H'm — a  poor-farm  up  in  New  Hampshire  ?  " 

«  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  didn't  like  it  up  there  ?  " 

Louis  shook  his  head  emphatically  while  he  dealt 
an  especially  energetic  blow  upon  the  knotty  stick 
in  process  of  dissection. 

"  So  you  ran  away  to  seek  your  fortune  in  Massa» 
<jhusetts  ?  "  observed  Mr.  Preston  in  a  quizzical  tone. 
"  Weren't  they  good  to  you  up  there  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  mind  their  rough  ways  so  much ;  but 
if  a  fellow  is  willing  to  work  for  his  living  he  isn't 
going  to  stand  being  cursed  as  '  a  beggar '  and  l  r 
pauper,'  "  returned  the  boy,  with  blazing  eyes. 

Mr.  Weston  nodded  approvingly,  as  if  he  sympa- 
thized with  and  commended  this  burst  of  spirit.  Then 
he  inquired  irrelevantly: 

"  Do  you  like  to  chop  wood  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  with  a  positive  inflection  which  left 
no  doubt  regarding  the  matter. 

"  What  makes  you  do  it,  then  ?  " 

Louis  lifted  an  earnest  look  to  the  man's  face. 


34  STEP  BY  STEP 

"  Suppose  I  don't  like  to  do  it  ?  You've  been  good 
to  me,  and  I  wanted  to  do  something  for  you,"  he 
responded,  with  a  heartiness  that  proved  his  sincer- 
ity. 

"  That's  right,"  and  the  farmer's  tone  expressed 
much.  Then  he  added :  "  Do  you  know  how  to 
milk?" 

"  I  can  do  pretty  well,  sir." 

"  Then  suppose  you  come  to  the  barn  and  help  me  ? 
My  man  is  away  for  a  few  days.  How  would  you 
like  to  stay  here  and  work  for  me  till  he  comes 
back?" 

"  Oh,  may  I  ?  "  cried  Louis  joyfully.  "  I'd  just 
love  to,  and  I'll  do  the  very  best  I  can." 

With  a  glowing  face  and  an  energy  born  of  a  sud- 
denly lightened  heart,  he  swung  his  hatchet  deep 
into  the  chopping-block,  and  followed  his  companion 
to  the  barn  with  an  alert  step  and  care-free  air  which 
bespoke  an  eagerness  to  make  good  his  word  "  to  do 
his  best,"  and  a  mind  at  rest  regarding  his  present 
necessities. 


STEP  BY  STEP  35 


CHAPTER  III 

Louis  ARNOLD  believed  himself  the  happiest  boy 
in  Massachusetts  that  day,  and  could  not  seem  to 
do  enough  to  manifest  his  joy  and  attest  his  grati- 
tude for  the  kindness  shown  him  by  the  good  farmer 
and  his  wife.  He  helped  with  the  milking  and  drove 
the  cows  to  pasture  before  breakfast,  Ponce,  the 
collie,  who,  strangely  enough,  having  apparently  con- 
ceived a  strong  and  sudden  affection  for  him,  keeping 
close  at  his  heels  most  of  the  time. 

After  the  morning  meal,  which  was  served  him 
in  the  kitchen  by  Hannah,  the  maid,  who  also  ap- 
peared to  participate  in  the  good-will  of  the  entire 
family  toward  him,  there  were  many  things  to  be 
done,  and  he  showed  himself  so  interested  in  his 
work,  so  eager  to  please,  and  was  so  uniformly  re- 
spectful and  well-behaved  that  Farmer  Weston  was 
more  and  more  attracted  to  him,  and  began  to  feel 
a  growing  curiosity  regarding  his  antecedents  and  the 
adverse  circumstances  that  had  combined  to  reduce 
so  bright  and  well-bred  a  boy  to  the  pitiable  condition 
of  a  helpless  dependant  upon  the  doubtful  charity  of 
a  New  Hampshire  poor-farm. 

When  the  noon  dinner  was  over  he  told  him  to  take 
an  hour's  rest,  or  amuse  himself  in  any  way  he  chose 
before  they  began  upon  their  afternoon's  work,  which 
was  to  be  in  the  potato  field. 


36  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  Or,  perhaps,"  he  observed,  as  he  seated  himself 
on  the  back  porch  to  smoke  his  after-dinner  pipe, 
"  you'd  like  to  tell  me  something  about  yourself,  and 
how  you  happen  to  be  in  such  a  plight.  Haven't  you 
any  relatives,  my  boy  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Louis,  as  he  dropped  upon  a 
step  near  him,  while  the  sociable  collie  stretched  hi  in- 
self  on  the  ground  at  his  feet.  "  My  father  died 
when  I  was  eight  years  old,  and  my  mother  "•  — with 
a  pathetic  quiver  of  his  round  chin — "  when  I  was 
ten." 

"  And  wasn't  there  an  aunt,  uncle,  or  a  cousin 
who  could  take  you  in  ? "  kindly  inquired  Mr. 
Weston. 

"  No,  sir.  My  father  was  the  high-school  teacher 
in  our  town,  and  we  had  everything  nice  while  he 
lived,  and  after  he  went  away  my  mother  took  in 
dressmaking  until  she  got  too  sick  to  work.  But  they 
didn't  have  anybody  belonging  to  them  like  most 
folks." 

"  That  seems  strange — to  have  no  relatives,"  said 
the  farmer  thoughtfully.  "  Was  your  mother  sick 
long?" 

"  Well,  not  really  sick ;  but  she  kept  getting  thin- 
ner and  whiter  for  a  long  time,  till  one  day  she 
dropped  down  in  a  faint  and  never  came  to." 

The  boy  turned  away  his  face  at  this  point, 
dropped  his  head,  and  was  silent  for  a  moment  or 
two,  whereupon  Ponce  got  up  and  sympathetically 
poked  his  cold  nose  into  his  hand.  Thus  reminded 
of  his  presence  and  friendly  interest,  Louis  slipped 


STEP  BY   STEP  37 

an  appreciative  arm  around  his  neck,  and  gave  him 
an  affectionate  hug,  then  resumed: 

"  We  didn't  have  any  money  at  all,  so  there  had 
to  be  an  auction  of  all  our  things  and  to — to  take 
care  of  her,  you  know.  Then,  as  there  wasn't  any- 
body to  look  after  me,  the  selectmen  said  I'd  have  to 
go  to  the  town  farm.  But  Aunt  Martha — her  name 
is  Miss  Martha  Wellington — wouldn't  let  me." 

"  How  does  she  happen  to  be  Aunt  Martha  to 
you  ? "  Mr.  Weston  here  interposed. 

"  Oh,  she  was  very  good  to  my  mother  and  me 
after  my  father  went  away.  She  used  to  stay  with 
us  a  lot,  to  help  mother  do  the  work  and  sew,  and 
she  was  there  when — when — that  last  day,  and — 
until  after  the  auction."  Louis  had  to  stop  here 
again  and  swallow  hard  two  or  three  times  before 
he  could  go  on. 

"  When  the  selectmen  said  I'd  have  to  go  to  the 
town  farm,"  he  presently  continued,  "  she  told  them 
I  shouldn't;  she  said  she  had  little  enough  to  live 
on  herself,  but  she'd  try  to  make  it  do  and  take  care 
of  me,  too,  until  somebody,  who  could  do  better  by 
me,  would  give  me  a  home." 

"  H'm !  She  was  a  friend  worth  having,"  said  Mr. 
Weston,  with  hearty  appreciation. 

"  I  guess  she  was,"  returned  the  boy  with  positive 
emphasis ;  "  so  I've  lived  with  her  'most  ever  since, 
and  I  never  loved  anybody,  except  mother,  as  I  love 
her.  She  thought  a  lot  of  me,  too,  and  so  she  had 
me  call  her  '  Aunt  Martha/  ' 

An  irrepressible  sob  burst  from  the  lad  just  here, 


38  STEP  BY   STEP 

showing  how  keenly  he  still  felt  his  bereavement  of 
both  mother  and  friend.  Hot  tears  also  forced  their 
way  into  his  eyes,  but  he  winked  hard  to  prevent 
them  from  rolling  over  his  cheeks,  and  bit  his  lips 
in  the  effort  to  regain  his  self-control. 

"And  did  she ?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  Louis  quickly  interposed,  as  if  to  pre- 
vent the  utterance  of  a  word  that  hurt  him,  "  but  her 
sister,  out  in  Colorado,  did,  and  she  was  sent  for  to 
go  and  take  care  of  her  family.  We — we  both  thought 
we  couldn't  bear  it  at  first,  and  she  said  she'd  take 
me  with  her  if  she  could  afford  it;  but  there  were 
four  children  out  there,  and  they  were  poor,  too,  so 
she  just  had  to  leave  me  behind." 

Once  more  the  boy  broke  off  suddenly,  and  throw- 
ing his  other  arm  around  Ponce's  neck  drew  him 
closer  to  him,  while  Mr.  Weston,  with  a  suspicious 
quiver  of  his  own  eyelids,  removed  his  pipe  from  hia 
mouth,  shook  the  ashes  from  it,  and  quietly  laid  it 
aside. 

"  Then,"  the  lad  went  on,  but  keeping  his  face 
turned  away  from  his  companion's  gaze,  "  as  there 
wasn't  anybody  else  in  the  town  who  could  have  me, 
I  had  to  go  to  the  farm.  But  " — straightening  him- 
self proudly  and  flushing  hotly — "  I  only  lived  there 
four  weeks.  I  just  wouldn't  stay.  They  made  me 
work  all  the  time.  I  didn't  mind  that — I  like  to 
work,"  he  hastened  to  explain ;  "  but  I  did  mind 
being  cuffed  and  sworn  at  and  twitted  with  being 
'  a  pauper  not  worth  my  salt.'  I'm  only  a  boy,  I 
know,  but  I'm  sure  I  earned  more  than  it  cost  to 


STEP  BY   STEP  39 

keep  me,  and  I  wouldn't  be  called  such  names  and  be 
made  to  feel  I  was  a  burden  on  the  town,  so — I  ran 
away,"  he  concluded,  in  a  matter-of-fact  tone. 

"  And  they  didn't  clothe  you  any  too  well,  either," 
observed  Mr.  Weston,  as  his  glance  swept  the  forlorn- 
looking  figure  before  him. 

Louis  flushed  and  shrank  sensitively. 

"  I  had  some  better  clothes  and  some  good  shoes 
and  stockings  when  I  started — Aunt  Martha  bought 
them  for  me  just  before  she  went  West.  I  made 
them  up  in  a  bundle,  to  save  them,  wore  my  old  ones, 
and  went  barefoot ;  but  I  fell  asleep  by  the  roadside, 
one  afternoon,  and  when  I  woke  up  they  were  gone 
— somebody  had  stolen  them." 

"  That  was  hard  lines,"  said  the  farmer  in  a 
tone  of  sympathy.  Then  he  added  cheerily :  "  But 
mother's  going  to  look  up  some  things  for  you  before 
the  day  is  out.  We  had  a  boy  here  last  year  who 
was  about  your  size,  and  he  left  some  very  good 
clothes  which  he  had  outgrown ;  I  guess  they'll  come 
pretty  near  being  a  fit  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I'd  like  them,  if  you'll  let  me 
work  long  enough  to  pay  for  them,"  said  Louis, 
flushing  with  mingled  pleasure  and  independ- 
ence. 

"  I  imagine  we  can  fix  that  all  right,"  his  com- 
panion returned,  with  a  quiet  smile.  Then  after  a 
moment  of  silence  he  gravely  remarked :  "  The  Lord 
has  laid  His  hand  heavily  upon  you,  my  boy,  in  de- 
priving you  of  your  parents  and  friends  so  early  in 
life,  and  leaving  you  to  shift  for  yourself." 


40  STEP  BY  STEP 

Louis  now  turned  square  around  and  bent  a  look 
of  astonishment  upon  the  man. 

"  God  didn't  do  that/'  he  asserted  positively. 

The  farmer  looked  surprised  in  turn,  and  moved 
uneasily  in  his  chair. 

"  Ahem !  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  "  he  ques- 
tioned seriously. 

"  Why,  because  God  is  good." 

"  Of  course ;  but  don't  you  believe  that  God  gives 
life?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  And  takes  it  away  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  sir ;  He  couldn't  do  that." 

"  Tut !  tut !  What's  that  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Wes- 
ton,  a  note  of  sternness  in  his  tones,  and  sitting  sud- 
denly erect.  "  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Because  God  'is  life  and  He  is  everywhere;  so 
He  couldn't  kill  life  anywhere  without  killing  a  part 
of  Himself,"  said  Louis,  with  quiet  assurance  and 
amazing  philosophy. 

The  farmer's  face  was  a  study  as  he  listened  to 
this  metaphysical  statement  regarding  Deity,  while 
he  stared  at  his  youthful  guest  with  an  air  of  per- 
plexity which  plainly  indicated  that  he  considered 
him  a  queer  problem. 

"  Humph !  Rather  remarkable  logic  for  one  of 
your  years!  So  that's  the  kind  of  theology  your 
Aunt  Martha  has  been  teaching  you  ?  "  he  remarked, 
with  a  suggestive  shrug  of  his  broad  shoulders. 

"I  don't  know  whether  it's  theology  or  not;  but 
I  know  it's  truth,"  returned  the  boy  conclusively. 


STEP  BY   STEP  41 

"Where  do  you  find  it?" 

"  In  the  Bible,  of  course." 

"  H'm !  "  ejaculated  the  man  reflectively.  "  Then 
you  don't  believe  that  God  deprived  you  of  your 
mother  and  put  you  in  the  poor-house  ? " 

"  1^0,  sir;  if  I  did  I — I  should — hate  Him,"  pas- 
sionately exclaimed  the  lad,  with  a  spasmodic  catch 
in  his  breath. 

At  this,  Farmer  Weston  flushed  up  suddenly  and 
a  steel-like  glitter  leaped  into  his  usually  kind  eyes. 

A  few  years  previous  he  had  lost  his  only  son — 
the  pride  of  his  life,  the  hope  of  his  future,  and 
while  he  would  hardly  have  dared  to  say  that  he 
hated  God — because,  with  his  rigid  adherence  to 
established  Presbyterian  doctrines,  he  believed  that 
"  the  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  has  taken  away,  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord  " — he  had  nevertheless  been, 
secretly  and  bitterly  rebellious  against  being  thus 
bereft,  and  that  bitterness  still  rankled  in  his  heart. 

"  Who  is  responsible,  then  ?  "  he  curtly  demanded. 

"  Sin — evil.  Aunt  Martha  says "  Louis  be- 
gan, then  paused  abruptly. 

"  Well,  what  does  Aunt  Martha  say  ?  "  sharply 
queried  his  companion,  a  vivid  spot  of  red  still  burn- 
ing on  either  cheek  and  showing  how  deeply  the  man 
had  been  stirred. 

"  She  says  God  is  all  good,  so  He  can't  send  any- 
thing but  good  to  anyone.  She  says  we  are  to  blame 
for  all  the  evil  in  the  world,  for  if  all  the  people 
who  have  ever  lived  had  never  thought  any  but  good 
thoughts  they  would  never  have  known  anything 


42  STEP   BY   STEP 

about  evil  and  the  trouble  it  brings,"  and  Louis'  ear- 
nest face  and  assured  tone  indicated  that  he  was 
firmly  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  arguments  he 
had  quoted. 

"  How  I  wish  I  could  know  this  dear  Aunt 
Martha.  She  has  certainly  taught  you  a  beautiful 
and  practical  faith,"  a  gentle  voice  here  interposed ; 
and  turning,  with  a  start  of  surprise,  Louis  saw, 
standing  in  the  doorway  behind  him,  a  graceful 
figure,  daintily  clad  in  white,  and  found  himself 
looking  into  a  face  which,  excepting  his  mother's, 
he  thought  was  the  loveliest  he  had  ever  seen. 

The  lady  was  perhaps  thirty-five  years  of  age,  with 
a  dignified  yet  gracious  bearing,  shining  nut-brown 
hair  and  beautiful  blue  eyes — darkly  blue,  like  the 
fringed  gentian  that  grew  abundantly  near  his  old 
home,  and  which  he  dearly  loved;  and  there  was  a 
delicate  tinge  of  color  in  her  cheeks  that  was  like 
the  faint  afterglow  on  fleecy  clouds  at  sunset. 

"  Ah,  Helen,  come  out ;  this  is  just  what  will  inter- 
est you,"  said  Mr.  Weston,  a  genial  smile  instantly 
chasing  the  cloud  from  his  brow,  as  he  turned  to 
the  newcomer.  Then  he  added :  "  Louis,  this  lady 
is  my  daughter,  Mrs.  Richards,  who  is  visiting  us 
for  awhile." 

Louis  was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant  and  doffed  his 
shabby  hat  with  an  innate  grace  and  courtesy  which 
proclaimed  him  both  well-born  and  well-bred. 

"  So  you  are  Louis  Arnold,"  Mrs.  Richards  ob- 
served, as  she  smiled  pleasantly  into  his  admiring 
eyes.  "  My  father  tells  me  you  are  to  remain  with 


STEP  BY   STEP  43 

us  for  a  few  days.  I  hope  you  will  get  nicely  rested 
and  be  happy  with  us." 

"  We've  been  having  a  discussion  similar  to  those 
you  and  I  have  had  of  late,"  the  farmer  resumed. 
"  It  seems  that  Aunt  Martha,  to  whom  you  heard 
him  refer,  is  a  veritable  oracle  upon  the  puzzling 
question  of  good  and  evil  and  God's  providence," 
he  concluded,  a  quizzical  smile  curling  his  lips  and 
gleaming  in  his  eyes.  - 

Louis  grew  suddenly  crimson. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  *  oracle  ' ;  but  I 
can  tell  you  she  is  almost  the  best  woman  that  ever 
lived,"  he  retorted,  with  something  very  like  a  re- 
sentful thrill  in  his  voice. 

"  I'm  inclined  to  agree  with  you,  my  boy,"  kindly 
responded  Mr.  Weston,  who  saw  that  the  lad  was 
hurt.  "  Oracle  means  a  wise  person ;  so  you  see  I 
was  simply  paying  a  tribute  to  your  friend.  I  am 
sure  Miss  Wellington  must  be  a  most  estimable  lady, 
and,  as  Mrs.  Richards  had  said,  I  would  like  to  know 
her." 

"  I  see  that  you  and  Ponce  have  become  good 
friends,"  Mrs.  Richards  now  remarked,  to  change 
the  subject,  and  she  smiled  as  she  saw  the  collie  creep 
close  to  him  again  and  poke  his  inquisitive  nose 
into  the  crown  of  the  shabby  hat  that  hung  by  his 
side. 

"  I  love  dogs — fine  dogs,"  Louis  replied,  as  he  af- 
fectionately patted  the  glossy  head  of  the  animal, 
who  pricked  up  his  ears  and  wagged  his  plumy  tail, 
as  if  in  acknowledgment  of  the  compliment. 


44  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  That  is  a  fine  dog,"  asserted  Farmer  Western. 
"  He's  a  good  judge  of  human  nature,  too,  and 
doesn't  make  friends  with  everybody.  He  isn't  back- 
ward in  tricks,  either;  see  here,  Ponce." 

The  man  reached  for  a  ball  that  lay  on  a  window- 
sill  near  him,  and,  leaning  off  the  porch,  tossed  it 
high  in  the  air. 

The  dog  was  on  the  alert  in  an  instant,  eager  for 
the  sport,  but  quick  as  he  was  Louis  was  quicker, 
and,  darting  out  into  the  yard,  sprang  aloft,  catching 
the  descending  ball  in  his  brown  hands  with  a  shout 
of  boyish  triumph,  whereupon  Ponce  gave  a  quick, 
sharp  bark  of  mingled  appeal  and  disappointment, 
and  stood  upright  on  his  hind  legs,  begging  for  the 
prize. 

"Want  it?"  said  Louis,  holding  it  just  beyond 
his  reach  with  a  tantalizing  air. 

Ponce  whined  wistfully. 

"  Here  goes,  then,"  cried  the  youth,  when  there 
followed  a  romp  which,  for  boyish  and  canine  char- 
acteristics and  startling  athletic  feats,  was  a  marvel 
and  a  delight  to  the  appreciative  group  upon  the 
piazza. 

The  farmer  roared  with  mirth  and  keenest  enjoy- 
ment. 

Helen  Richards  clapped  her  jeweled  hands  with 
the  abandon  and  enthusiasm  of  a  girl,  while  staid 
Mrs.  Weston  and  Hannah,  the  maid,  left  their  work 
in  the  kitchen  and  came  to  the  door  to  get  their 
share  of  the  fun. 

Ponce  won  at  the  end  of  the  game  from  a  gener- 


STEP   BY   STEP  45 

ous  opponent,  who,  with  one  last  vigorous  toss  of  the 
ball,  cried  out: 

"  Now,  Ponce,  here  you  are ;  go  for  it ;  hi,  there !  " 
and  the  eager  collie,  measuring  distances  with  his 
keen  eyes,  bounded  forward,  poised  himself  beneath 
the  descending  trophy,  then,  with  an  agile  spring, 
caught  it  between  his  jaws,  and,  running  back  to 
Louis,  deposited  it  at  his  feet  and  begged  for  another 
round. 

"  No,  sir ;  that's  enough  for  this  time,"  laughed 
the  panting  lad,  as  he  sank  upon  the  porch  and 
fanned  himself  with  his  shabby  hat. 

"  I  guess  there's  some  boy  left  in  you  after  all, 
although  I  was  beginning  to  think  Aunt  Martha  had 
ordained  you  pretty  early  in  life,"  Mr.  Weston  dryly 
remarked,  but  with  a  quiet  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 
"  Well  " — glancing  at  his  wateh  and  rising  from  his 
chair — "  it's  about  time  we  made  tracks  for  the  po- 
tato field — ever  dug  potatoes,  Louis?  " 

"  Lot  o'  times,"  replied  Louis,  springing  nimbly 
to  his  feet,  apparently  as  eager  for  work  as  he  had 
been  for  play. 

"  All  right ;  you'll  find  a  couple  of  hoes  in  the 
shed,  and  I'll  get  the  basket." 

Louis  darted  away  to  bring  the  required  imple- 
ments, and  Mrs.  Richards,  looking  thoughtfully  after 
him,  remarked  to  her  remaining  companion : 

"  Father,  I  believe  that  is  no  ordinary  boy,  and 
I  wish  he  might  find  a  good  home  with  the  right 
kind  of  people." 

"  So  do  I,  Helen — so  do  L    I  don't  like  to  think 


46  STEP  BY  STEP 

of  him  all  alone  in  the  world,  left  to  the  influence 
and  mercy  of  whoever  he  may  chance  to  meet," 
gravely  responded  the  man  as  he  moved  away  to 
go  for  his  basket 


STEP  BY   STEP  47 


CHAPTEK   IV 

MKS.  RICHARDS  was  the  only  remaining  child  of 
four  that  had  once  comprised  the  family  of  Farmer 
Weston  and  his  good  wife,  who  were  energetic,  pros- 
perous people,  broad-minded,  progressive,  and  most 
highly  esteemed  in  the  town  where  they  had  lived 
ever  since  their  wedding  day,  when  they  had  proudly 
taken  possession  of  the  tiny  cottage  which  later  had 
become  the  "  L  "  to  the  handsome  and  commodious 
farmhouse  which  was  now  their  home. 

Helen  Weston,  from  her  childhood,  had  been  a 
favorite  in  the  community  with  both  old  and  young. 
Possessing  an  amiable  disposition,  an  attractive  per- 
sonality, together  with  a  vein  of  irresistible  humor, 
besides  being  a  fine  scholar,  she  had  been  regarded 
not  only  as  the  flower  of  the  family,  but  of  the  vil- 
lage as  well. 

After  graduating  from  the  high  school  of  her  na- 
tive place  she  had  taken  a  four  years'  course  at  Welles- 
ley  College,  preparatory  to  teaching,  and  having 
won  her  degree,  she  secured  a  fine  position  in  a  select 
school  in  Chicago,  where,  after  a  couple  of  years, 
she  met  and  married  a  prosperous  lawyer,  William 
Richards,  who  had  already  attained  an  enviable  repu- 
tation in  that  mighty  city  of  the  Middle  West 

Having  always  maintained  a  high  moral  stand- 


48  STEP  BY  STEP 

ard,  never  lending  himself  to  a  case  which  he  could 
not  contest  with  an  absolutely  clear  conscience,  he 
had  won  the  unlimited  confidence  of  his  clients,  his 
progress  had  been  relatively  rapid,  and  now,  at 
thirty-seven  years  of  age,  he  was  rated  as  one  of  the 
leading  men  in  his  profession,  and  financially  suc- 
cessful in  proportion. 

No  children  came  to  the  young  couple,  and  there 
were  times  when  Helen  Richards  was  lonely,  even 
amid  her  luxurious  surroundings,  arid  yearned  in- 
tensely for  her  dear  ones  at  home. 

Frequent  visits  were  exchanged,  however,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Weston  from  time  to  time  spending  the  entire 
winter  with  their  daughter,  while  every  summer 
found  the  Richardses  abandoning  themselves  to  the 
freedom  of  country  life  at  the  old  homestead  in 
Massachusetts. 

Mrs.  Richards  had  several  times  proposed  to  her 
father  that  he  sell  his  farm  and  make  a  permanent 
home  with  her ;  but  Mr.  Weston  affirmed  that  as  long 
as  he  was  hale  and  hearty  he  could  never  tear  him- 
self away  from  his  native  soil  or  give  up  his  long- 
accustomed  duties;  while,  too,  he  said  the  bustling, 
hurrying  West  was  too  rapid  for  him,  and  he  pre- 
ferred the  quiet  routine  of  his  more  methodical 
life. 

Out  in  the  potato  field  that  bright  afternoon,  after 
their  interesting  noon  hour  on  the  porch,  the  observ- 
ing farmer  found  that  Louis  could  hoe  as  vigorously 
and  to  as  good  purpose  as  he  had  done  everything 
else  that  day.  He  proved  himself  very  companion- 


STEP  BY   STEP  49 

able,  also,  and  as  something  of  his  shyness  wore  off 
he  talked  cheerily  and  freely  with  his  new  friend, 
who  became  more  and  more  convir.^ed  that  Aunt 
Martha  was  a  remarkable  woman,  and  had  sown  good 
seed  in  a  fruitful  soil.  Evidently  she  was  a  woman 
of  culture,  notwithstanding  her  humble  position  in 
life — a  woman  of  rigid  honesty  and  unswerving  prin- 
ciple in  every  respect;  for  the  boy's  language  was 
unusually  correct  and  well  chosen  for  one  of  his 
years;  while,  from  an  ethical  viewpoint,  he  seemed 
to  possess  the  ideals  of  a  lofty  and  acutely  discrimi- 
nating nature. 

Yet  he  did  not  pose  as  a  prodigy.  He  was  re- 
freshingly unconscious  of  self,  spontaneous  in  his 
actions  and  expressions,  and  frequently  bubbled  over 
with  genuine  boyish  spirits,  not  unmixed  with  a 
spice  of  mischief. 

Man  and  boy  worked  harmoniously  together  until 
five  o'clock,  when  it  was  time  to  begin  on  the  chores 
for  the  night.  When  these  were  done  and  Louis, 
hungry  as  a  young  bear  after  his  busy  afternoon, 
appeared  in  the  homelike  kitchen,  thoughtfully  bear- 
ing an  armful  of  wood  for  Hannah's  box,  Mrs.  Wes- 
ton,  who  was  assisting  in  preparing  the  evening  meal, 
greeted  him  with  a  cheery  smile,  and  remarked : 

"  Well,  Louis,  if  your  work  is  all  done  you  can 
go  up  to  your  room  and  put  on  some  better  clothes 
which  you'll  find  there.  Mrs.  Richards  and  I  are 
going  to  town,  after  supper,  to  do  some  errands. 
Would  you  like  to  come  with  us  ?  " 

"  Yes'm,"  the  boy  replied,  his  face  beaming  with 


50  STEP  BY  STEP 

pleasure  in  view  of  clean  apparel  as  well  as  of  the 
proposed  outing. 

He  slipped  away  to  the  little  chamber  over  the 
shed,  where  he  found  a  suggestive  pail  of  water,  with 
soap  and  towels,  awaiting  him;  also  a  neat  brown 
suit  of  clothes,  a  clean  shirt  and  blouse,  with  a  pretty 
tie,  which  was  but  slightly  defaced,  even  though  it 
had  evidently  been  worn.  There  were  a  pair  of  shoes 
and  stockings  also,  both  of  which  had  seen  service. 

He  was  not  long  taking  his  bath  and  getting  into 
his  suit,  which  proved  to  be  a  very  good  fit,  and  he 
heaved  a  sigh  of  intense  satisfaction  to  find  himself 
neat  and  clean,  and  looking  more  like  the  trim  boy 
who  had  never  worn  soiled  or  ragged  garments  until 
he  was  deprived  of  Aunt  Martha's  loving  care. 

The  stockings,  even  though  darned  in  various 
places,  felt  good  to  his  feet,  which  had  known  no 
covering  for  many  weeks.  The  shoes,  however,  were 
rather  large;  but  he  comforted  himself  with  the 
philosophical  reflection :  "  Better  so  than  too  tight, 
notwithstanding  their  clumsy  proportions." 

When  he  reappeared  in  the  kitchen  Mrs.  Weston 
regarded  him  with  a  complacent  smile,  and  was 
quick  to  observe  the  straight,  white  parting  of  his 
hair,  and  particularly  the  more  presentable  appear- 
ance of  his  finger-nails. 

"  He  has  been  carefully  reared,"  she  said  to  her- 
self. "  Dear  boy !  He  looks  and  behaves  like  a  little 
gentleman,  and  my  heart  yearns  over  him  in  his 
friendlessness." 

After  supper  the  carriage  was  driven  to  the  door, 


STEP   BY   STEP  51 

whereupon  Mrs.  Weston  appropriated  the  back  seat, 
while  Mrs.  Richards  and  Louis  occupied  the  one 
in  front 

"  Do  you  know  how  to  drive,  Louis  ?  "  inquired 
his  companion,  as  her  father  passed  the  reins  up  to 
her. 

"  Yes'm  "—eagerly. 

"  Would  you  like  to  act  as  our  coachman  this  even- 
ing?" 

"  If  you  please  " — lifting  a  bright  look  to  her,  and 
flushing  with  pleasure  in  view  of  her  manifest  con- 
fidence in  his  ability. 

A  silvery  laugh  rippled  over  the  lady's  lips  as  she 
put  the  lines  in  his  hands. 

"  I  thought  I  could  not  mistake  that  longing  ex- 
pression in  those  brown  eyes,  and  I  am  sure  you  do 
know  how  to  drive,"  she  said,  -as  she  observed  the 
way  he  laid  hold  upon  the  ribbons  and  drew  his  el- 
bows close  in  to  his  sides  preparatory  to  starting  off. 

It  was  less  than  half  a  mile  to  town — a  lovely 
drive  along  a  wide,  well-graded  road,  lined  with 
beautiful  and  stately  trees,  and  flanked  on  either 
side  with  fine  residences. 

Upon  reaching  the  village  the  horse  was  hitched 
in  front  of  one  of  the  large  stores,  whereupon  the 
trio  went  from  place  to  place  to  make  their  various 
purchases,  Louis  proving  himself  very  useful  as  bur- 
den-bearer, while  he  thoroughly  enjoyed  himself  in 
this  capacity  and  kept  his  bright  eyes  busy,  taking 
in  his  surroundings,  nothing  of  interest  being  allowed 
to  escape  them. 


52  STEP  BY   STEP 

The  last  errand  concerned  him  personally  and  con- 
sisted in  the  purchase  of  a  pair  of  good  serviceable 
shoes  to  fit  him;  some  underclothing  and  a  suitable 
hat  for  fall  wear.  His  flushed  face  was  a  study  while 
his  new  friends  were  buying  these  things  and  there 
was  a  troubled  expression  in  his  eyes  which  did  not 
escape  Mrs.  Richards'  observation. 

"  How  do  you  like  it?  "  she  inquired  when,  after 
trying  on  several,  she  at  last  found  a  hat  that  suited 
her  better  than  others. 

"  I  like  it  very  much ;  but — "  he  began  doubtfully, 
when  she  gently  checked  him  by  asking  gravely: 

"  Louis,  •  didn't  Aunt  Martha  teach  you  who  sup- 
plies all  our  needs  ?  " 

"  Yes'm — God,"  with  a  comprehensive  nod,  yet 
with  a  suspicious  quiver  of  his  round  chin. 

"  Then  it  is  not  for  us  to  question,  or  allow  our 
pride  to  make  us  feel  burdened  in  view  of  the  way 
He  takes  to  provide  for  our  wants,"  the  lady  pursued ; 
"  we  are  simply  to  be  grateful  and  He  will  give  the 
opportunity  for  a  suitable  expression  of  our  grati- 
tude. Now,"  she  went  on  brightly,  "  we  want  a 
couple  of  new  collars  and  a  pretty  necktie  which  arc 
to  be  my  own  little  offering,  for  I  am  going  to  ask 
a  favor  of  you." 

Louis  lifted  an  eager  face  to  her,  thus  plainly  in- 
dicating how  gladly  he  would  grant  anything  she 
might  ask;  while  as  he  met  her  smiling  eyes  his 
heart  grew  big  and  tender,  just  as  it  used  to  grow 
when,  after  he  had  done  some  special  -favor  for  her, 
Aunt  Martha  would  throw  her  arm  about  his  shoul' 


STEP  BY   STEP  53 

ders  and  say :  "  I  wonder  what  I  should  do  without 
my  little  man  of  the  house." 

"  I'm  going  to  ask  you  to  act  as  my  escort  to  church 
to-morrow  morning,"  the  lady  went  on.  "  Mr.  Rich- 
ards is  away  on  business  and  I'm  not  fond  of  going 
to  church  alone ;  would  you  like  to  go  with  me  ?  " 

"  Yes'm,  I  would,"  replied  Louis  with  a  heartiness 
there  was  no  mistaking. 

"Thank  you," was  the  gracious  rejoinder  that  made 
it  seem  as  if  the  weight  of  obligation  was  all  on  her 
side,  "  and  we  shall  have  to  start  very  early,  for  I 
like  to  go  by  trolley  into  Boston  at  this  time  of  the 
year." 

"  Boston !  "  repeated  Louis  in  an  indescribable 
tone,  while  his  face  shone  with  delight,  for  far-famed 
Boston  had  always  seemed  to  him  the  Mecca  of  the 
universe. 

"  Yes ;  I  judge  you  have  never  been  there,  so  it  will 
be  an  interesting  trip  for  you,  and  I  always  attend 
church  there  when  I  come  East.  Now,  I  believe  our 
purchases  are  all  made  and  we  will  go  home,"  she 
concluded  as,  having  received  her  change,  she  turned 
to  leave  the  store,  and  Louis,  gathering  up  her  bun- 
dles, followed  her. 

A  very  happy  boy  was  early  astir  when  morning 
broke  again,  and  when  Farmer  Weston  arose  a  little 
later  than  usual,  as  was  his  custom  on  the  Sabbath, 
it  was  to  find  the  stock  all  fed,  most  of  the  chores 
done  and  the  milking  well  under  way. 

When  this  duty  was  finished  Louis  drove  the  cows 
to  pasture,  with  Ponce  again  in  close  attendance  and 


54  STEP  BY  STEP 

manifesting  in  various  ways  his  pleasure  in  the  com- 
panionship of  the  stray  waif  who  had  so  opportunely 
found  a  welcome  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  his 
master.  When  they  returned  they  were  walking  side 
by  side,  Louis'  hand  resting  affectionately  upon  the 
collie's  silken  head,  while  the  lad  was  singing  in  a 
clear,  boyish  treble  one  of  the  many  hymns  that  he 
and  Aunt  Martha  had  so  loved  to  sing  together  in 
their  dear  little  home  among  the  New  Hampshire 
hills. 

Helen  Richards,  who  was  quietly  reading  in  her 
own  room,  caught  the  familiar  strains  and  paused  to 
listen,  a  tender  smile  wreathing  her  lips. 

"  Dear  child,"  she  said  softly,  "  I  am  so  glad 
father  favors  the  suggestion  to  keep  him  here.  I 
shall  go  back  to  Chicago  with  a  light  heart,  feeling 
that  I  have  left  a  flood  of  sunshine  to  brighten  the 
dear  old  home  and  that  one  of  His  '  little  ones '  is 
being  well  cared  for." 

After  breakfast,  Louis  brought  up  the  potatoes 
and  other  vegetables  for  dinner,  filled  both  hods  with 
coal  for  Hannah,  then  slipped  away  to  prepare  for 
the  much  anticipated  trip  to  Boston. 

He  dressed  with  great  care  and  flushed  with  pleas- 
ure upon  taking  a  final  survey  of  himself  in  the 
mirror ;  while  his  well-fitting  shoes  and  "  nobby " 
new  hat  appeared  to  afford  him  especial  satisfaction. 
i  Then,  obeying  one  of  the  tidy  habits  inculcated 
by  Aunt  Martha,  he  hung  the  clothing  ho  had  re- 
moved in  his  closet,  in  an  orderly  manner ;  but  while 
so  doing  a  wad  of  paper  dropped  to  the  floor  from 


STEP  BY   STEP  55 

one  of  the  pockets  of  his  jacket.  Picking  it  up  he 
unfolded  it,  revealing  a  paper  bag  which  seemed  to 
contain  some  substance  within  it. 

"  Aha !  "  he  cried,  and,  slipping  his  fingers  in- 
side, he  brought  to  light  a  chocolate  cream,  which, 
however,  presented  a  decidedly  mashed  and  bat- 
tered appearance.  He  eyed  it  askance  for  a  mo- 
ment, then  deliberately  thrust  it  between  his  lips 
and  munched  it  with  as  much  relish,  apparently,  as 
if  it  had  been  fresh  from  the  confectioner's  estab- 
lishment. 

"  Just  one  left,"  he  mused  as  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion again  to  the  bag.  "  Guess  it  might  as  well  keep 
the  other  company — there  are  lots  o'  good  things  to 
eat  here  and  I  don't  need  to  keep  them  for  between 
meals  now." 

He  was  on  the  point  of  suiting  the  act  to  his 
words  when  he  caught  sight  of  a  glittering  object 
half  embedded  in  the  confection. 

"  By  Jingo !  where  did  that  come  from  ?  "  he  ex- 
claimed in  great  astonishment. 

"  That "  was  a  small  gold  ring,  set  with  pretty 
blue  stones,  and  which  had  worked  its  way  half  out 
of  sight  into  his  last  chocolate  cream — all  that  re- 
mained of  the  bag  of  candy  which  Miss  Gipsy,  his 
little  acquaintance  of  the  county  fair,  had  bought 
expressly  for  him. 

The  boy  had  treasured  that  gift  most  jealously, 
only  now  and  then  permitting  himself  the  luxury 
of  partaking  of  its  contents,  in  order  that  he  might 
retain  some  tangible  reminder  of  that  red-letter  day 


$6  STEP  BY   STEP 

as  long  as  possible.  Nevertheless,  now  and  then, 
when  he  had  failed  to  get  all  that  he  needed  to  eat 
on  his  long  tramps,  he  had  been  obliged  to  dip  into 
it  more  frequently  than  he  liked  in  order  to  appease 
the  aching  void  in  his  hungry  stomach. 

His  great  brown  eyes  wore  a  very  startled  look 
just  now  as  he  viewed  that  small  circlet,  the  loss  of 
which  had  caused  such  heartbroken  grief  from  Miss 
Gipsy  and  spoiled  her  otherwise  happy  birthday. 

He  was  not  long  in  arriving  at  correct  conclusions, 
however,  for  he  remembered  having  seen  it  gleam- 
ing on  the  pretty  plump  hand  which  she  had  reached 
out  to  receive  the  truant  hat  he  had  captured  and 
returned  to  her. 

Then  a  laugh  of  amusement  broke  from  him  as 
he  realized  that  that  same  small  hand  must  have 
dipped  into  his  bag  of  sweets  before  it  had  been  pre- 
sented to  him,  when,  doubtless,  the  ring  had  slipped 
from  her  finger  and  gradually  worked  its  way  to 
the  bottom,  where  it  had  almost  lost  itself  again  in 
the  very  last  of  his  sweetmeats. 

He  detatched  it  and  dropping  it  into  his  wash- 
basin carefully  cleansed  it,  then  wiped  it  dry  on  his 
towel,  wondering  all  the  while  what  he  would  do 
with  it — how  return  it  to  its  owner.  He  did  not 
even  know  her  name.  He  had  heard  her  father  ad- 
dress her  as  "  Gipsy  "  and  his  son  as  "  Ted,"  but 
aside  from  these  household  pet  names  he  had  no 
clue  whatever  to  the  identity  of  the  family. 

But  he  was  suddenly  interrupted  in  these  reflec- 
tions by  hearing  the  clock  in  the  kitchen  below  strike 


STEP  BY   STEP  57 

nine,  and  knew  it  was  nearly  time  to  start  for  church. 
He  unbuttoned  the  front  of  his  blouse  and  shirt, 
and  brought  to  light  a  strong  twine  that  encircled 
his  neck  and  from  which  there  hung  suspended  a 
broad  plain  band  of  gold. 

It  was  his  mother's  wedding  ring — taken  from 
her  hand  by  Aunt  Martha  and  given  to  him  to 
keep  as  a  precious  legacy.  With  compressed  lips 
and  fingers  that  were  visibly  tremulous,  he  untied 
the  knot  and  slipped  Gipsy's  little  birthday  gift 
beside  the  other  shining  circlet,  then  retied  the 
string  and  thrust  his  treasures  out  of  sight,  re- 
buttoned  his  clothing  and  went  below  to  join  Mrs. 
Richards  who  was  awaiting  him. 

"  How  nice  you  look,  Louis,"  she  remarked  as 
her  eyes  took  a  critical  survey  of  him  from  head 
to  foot.  "  I  am  sure  Mr.  Richards  would  be  very 
happy  this  bright  morning  if  he  could  know  what 
a  congenial  companion  I  have  to  accompany  me 
to  church.  Come,  now,  we  have  only  just  about 
time  to  catch  our  car." 

It  was  a  charming  ride  over  the  country  roads  to 
town.  The  day  was  perfect.  The  sun  had  never 
seemed  quite  so  bright,  the  sky  so  blue  or  the  floating 
clouds  so  fleecy  white;  while  the  foliage  on  every 
hand  was  ablaze  with  gorgeous  tints  that  thrilled 
the  beholder  to  silence  with  wonder  and  reverence 
for  the  Master  Hand  that  had  painted  such  mar- 
velous hues.  And  when  they  entered  the  beautifir 
church  which  Mrs.  Richards  attended,  an  atmos- 
phere of  wondrous  peace  seemed,  to  Louis,  to  brood 


58  STEP  BY  STEP 

over  the  place  and  hallow  the  service  which  followed. 

It  was  an  experience,  a  day,  a  service,  a  peace 
which  left  a  lasting  impress  on  the  walls  of  mem- 
ory's hall  for  all  time.  The  sorrows,  the  hardships, 
the  loneliness  of  the  past  few  weeks  were  all  for- 
gotten— submerged  beneath  those  uplifting  influ- 
ences and  the  joy  that  filled  his  consciousness — when 
the  service  was  over  and  he  passed  out  upon  the 
street  with  his  kind  friend  and  up  to  the  avenue 
where  they  were  to  take  their  car  for  home. 

While  they  were  waiting  on  the  corner,  two  rough- 
looking  men  came  out  of  a  building  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street,  where  they  stood  talking  for  a 
few  moments,  then  parted,  one  boarding  a  passing 
trolley,  the  other  staggering  to  a  near-by  lamp-post, 
against  which  he  leaned  for  support,  in  some  doubt, 
apparently,  regarding  his  ability  to  go  on  his  way. 

Neither  Louis  nor  Mrs.  Richards  had  observed 
either  of  them  particularly,  nor  dreamed  of  the 
presence  of  an  enemy  to  disturb  their  harmony  until 
a  repulsive  oath  greeted  their  ears  and  a  heavy  hand 
was  laid  on  Louis'  shoulder,  when,  turning  suddenly, 
he  found  himself  gazing  into  a  pair  of  familiar 

sinister  eyes  which  were  fastened  with  a  look  of 

•        ,  i  • 

evil  triumph  upon  him. 


STEP  BY  STEP  59 


CHAPTER   V 

!" 

It  was  a  long-drawn,  shuddering  breath,  rather 
than  a  startled  cry,  and  instantly  all  the  brightness 
faded  out  of  Louis'  face,  leaving  him  white  and 
wild-eyed  from  fear  and  dismay. 

"  Aha !  So  ye're  caught  at  last,  eh  ?  and  this  is 
a  fine  piece  of  luck  for  me !  "  chuckled  the  man  glee- 
fully as  he  gave  his  captive  a  vindictive  shake.  Then 
as  his  glance  swept  the  boy's  neatly  clad  figure  from 
head  to  foot,  noting  his  new  hat  and  shoes,  he  went 
on :  "  Great  Scott !  haven't  you  grown  a  fine  bird 
since  you  left  the  farm!  Who's  payin'  the  bills,  I 
wonder !  "  And  he  supplemented  his  observations 
with  a  rude  laugh  and  a  revolting  string  of  oaths. 

"  Stop,  sir !    Release  the  boy !  " 

The  command  was  very  quietly  spoken,  but  with 
an  authoritative  intonation  which  instantly  produced 
effect,  for  the  man's  hand  involuntarily  relaxed  its 
grip  upon  Louis,  while  he  turned  his  bloodshot 
eyes  with  a  stare  of  stupid  surprise  upon  the  speaker. 

"  Eh !  "  he  ejaculated,  shrinking  back  a  pace 
or  two  and  evidently  somewhat  disconcerted  upon 
finding  himself  confronted  by  the  self-possessed, 
elegant-clad  woman  who  had  addressed  him. 

"  What  have  you  to  do  with  this  boy  ?    Why  are 


/ 

6o  STEP  BY   STEP 

you  so  rude  to  him  ? "  Mrs.  Richards  demanded, 
at  the  same  time  laying  a  reassuring  hand  upon 
Louis'  arm,  and  yet  she  suspected  something  of  the 
truth. 

"  That's  a  matter  that  needn't  concern  you,  marm, 
if  you'll  excuse  me  for  saying  it."  And  Louis'  as- 
sailant began  to  bridle  again  while  his  language  and 
manner  were  characterized  by  the  utmost  coarseness 
and  insolence. 

"  It  certainly  does  concern  me,  sir,"  Mrs. ' 
Richards  asserted  with  quiet  dignity,  "  for  the  boy 
is  under  my  care." 

"  Under  your  care,  is  he  ?     That's  a  good  one !  " 

sneered  the  intoxicated  boor  with  a  malicious  leer. 

"  P'raps  you  don't  know  he's  nothing  but  a  sneaking 

little  pauper  who  belongs  to  the  poor-farm  up  in 

—New  Hampshire." 

"  Ah !  Louis,  do  you  know  this  man  ?  Has  he 
any  authority  over  you  ?  "  Helen  Richards  inquired 
with  a  compassionate  look  in  her  gentle  eyes  as  she 
turned  to  her  youthful  crestfallen  companion. 

"  Yes'm ;  he's  Nathan  Black,  the  superintendent 
at  the  farm,"  Louis  admitted  with  downcast  eyes 
and  white,  trembling  lips. 

"That's  right;  you  see  he  don't  quite  like  to 
give  an  old  friend  the  cold  shoulder,  for  all  he's 
grown  such  gay  plumage  and  caught  on  to  such 
high-toned  nabobs  since  he  took  French  leave  of  our 
fine  institution  up  country,"  Nathan  Black  inter- 
posed with  malicious  sarcasm.  "  But  come  on,"  he 
roughly  commanded.  "  I'll  relieve  the  lady  of  all 


STEP  BY   STEP  61 

further  care  of  you  and  to-morrow  morning  we'll 
make  tracks  for  New  Hampshire.  I  .tell  you  " — 
with  an  ugly  grin — "  we've  been  downright  lone- 
some without  you,  you — runaway  beggar;  and  we'll 
make  it  all-fired  interesting  for  you  when  we  get 
you  back  again,"  and  his  brawny  hand  closed  once 
more  with  a  fierce  clutch  upon  Louis'  shoulder. 

"  / — will  never  go  fcacfc  to  that  farm." 

The  words  fell  from  the  boy's  lips  with  a  firmness 
and  decision  that  betrayed  a  dauntless  spirit;  and 
as  he  gave  slow  utterance  to  them  he  resolutely  threw 
back  his  head  and  looked  straight  into  the  eyes  of 
the  brute  before  him. 

"  Eh-!  you  won't  go  back  to  the  farm  ?  We'll  see 
about  that,  you — "  and  another  volley  of  oaths 
poured  from  his  vile  lips. 

"  Well,  if  you  take  me  back  I  shall  run  away 
again,"  Louis  inflexibly  asserted,  his  steadfast  look 
never  wavering.  "  I  know  I'm  only  a  boy  and 
there's  nobody  in  the  world  to  take  care  of  me; 
but  I'm  never  going  to  be  a  pauper  upon  any 
town." 

With  a  dexterous  movement  he  wrenched  himself 
free  from  his  captor's  grasp  and  quietly  stepped  back 
to  Mrs.  Richards'  side;  though  being  fleet  of  foot 
as  a  deer,  he  could  easily  have  taken  refuge  in  flight 
and  so  made  good  his  escape  from  his  unfortunate 
predicament. 

Nathan  Black's  face  grew  purple  with  rage  at 
thus  being  defied  and  he  lifted  his  powerful  arm, 
as  if  to  strike  the  boy  a  cruel  blow.  But  Mrs.  Rich- 


62  STEP  BY   STEP 

ards  here  calmly  stepped  in  between  them  and  faced ' 
the  man. 

"  Mr.  Black,"  she  observed  with  quiet  dignity, 
"  it  may  be  that  you  have  authority  to  compel  Louis 
to  return  to  New  Hampshire  with  you;  but  you 
are  certainly  in  no  condition  to-day  to  provide  for 
his  comfort  in  a  proper  manner.  I  will  give  you 
my  address  and  you  can  come  out  to-morrow  morn- 
ing, when  we  will  talk  this  matter  over  and  may, 
perhaps,  have  some  satisfactory  proposition  to  make 
you  regarding  the  boy." 

"  No,  you  don't,  marm.  I'm  not  going  to  let  my 
bird  slip  away  from  me  now  that  I  have  got  my  paw 
on  him.  You're  a  mighty  smooth-spoken  woman,  and 
you  may  mean  to  do  the  square  thing,"  he  went  on, 
his  eyes  wavering  and  falling  beneath  her  pure, 
direct  gaze ;  "  but  he's  got  to  go  back,  and  I'm  not 
going  to  lose  sight  of  him — understand  ?  " 

He  had  moved  a  pace  or  two  nearer  her  while 
speaking  and  Helen  Richards  shrank  involuntarily 
away  from  him,  for  his  hot,  liquor-tainted  breath 
was  too  offensive  to  be  borne  and  his  personal  ap- 
pearance repulsive  in  the  extreme.  She  made  no 
reply  to  his  query,  but  stood  for  a  moment,  looking 
thoughtfully  up  the  avenue,  trying  to  think  of  some 
way  of  escape  from  the  perplexing  situation.  She 
felt  that  it  would  be  of  no  avail  to  reason  with 
the  man  in  his  semi-intoxicated  state,  and  yet 
she  could  not  for  a  moment  tolerate  the  idea  of  al- 
lowing Louis  to  go  with  him  perhaps  to  some  low, 
sin-laden  locality  where  he  doubtless  would  be  neg- 


STEP  BY  STEP  63 

lected  if  not  ill-used.  Suddenly  her  face  lighted 
as  the  blue-coated  figure  of  a  policeman  came  into 
view,  whereupon  she  signaled  to  him,  and  the  next 
moment  he  was  close  at  hand  courteously  inquiring: 

"  What  is  it,  madam  2  Can  I  assist  you  in  any 
way?" 

She  briefly  explained  the  situation  and  concluded 
by  saying: 

"  You  can  see  for  yourself  that  the  man  is  in 
no  condition  to  take  charge  of  the  boy.  I  feel  it  my 
duty  to  insist  upon  taking  him  home  with  me;  but 
I  will  give  the  superintendent  my  address  and  pledge 
my  word  that  he  will  find  him  there  whenever  he 
chooses  to  come  for  him " 

"  It  won't  do,  mama ;  I've  no  time  nor  money  to 
waste  running  about  the  country  for  truant  boys," 
Nathan  Black  here  blusteringly  interposed,  although 
it  was  evident  he  was  very  ill  at  ease  in  the  presence 
of  the  guardian  of  the  public  peace. 

"  It  will  not  take  him  out  of  his  way  at  all,  Mr. 
Officer,  for  an  electric  line  and  the  Boston  and 
Maine  Railway  both  run  through  the  town,"  Mrs. 
Richards  persisted,  "  and  we  are  not  five  minutes' 
walk  from  the  former." 

The  officer  had  listened  respectfully  to  her  story 
and  realized  that  she  was  in  the  right;  while,  too, 
his  sympathies  were  strongly  enlisted  for  the  manly 
little  fellow  who  had  borne  himself  so  well  during 
the  controversy,  for  he  had  had  his  eye  on  the  group 
for  several  moments  before  the  lady  had  appealed 
to  him. 


64  STEP   BY   STEP 

"  Let  the  boy  go  with  madam,"  he  briefly  com- 
manded, when  she  ceased  speaking. 

"  Not  if  I  know  it,"  fiercely  retorted  the  dis- 
comfited superintendent,  with  a  supplemental  oath. 

The  policeman  lifted  his  hand  authoritatively. 

"  Let  the  boy  go,"  he  repeated  sternly.  "  As  the 
lady  says,  you  are  not  fit  to  look  out  for  him,  and 
you  can  go  for  him  to-morrow,  if  you  are  bound  to 
take  him  back  to  New  Hampshire  with  you.  Not 
a  word,  sir !  "  as  the  crestfallen  man  again  began 
to  bluster,  "  or  I  shall  run  you  in  for  breaking  the 
peace." 

Mrs.  Richards  hastily  wrote  her  father's  address 
on  a  slip  of  paper,  which  she  found  in  her  purse,  and 
passed  it  to  the  officer,  who,  after  reading  it,  handed 
it  to  Nathan  Black. 

The  man  accepted  it  most  ungraciously,  stood  ir- 
/  resolute  for  a  moment,  then  with  a  surly  scowl  at 
Louis  turned  and  walked  unsteadily  away,  mutter- 
ing angrily  to  himself  as  he  went. 

The  policeman  stood  by  Mrs.  Richards  and  Louis 
until  their  car  came  along,  when  he  helped  the  lady 
aboard,  politely  touching  his  hat  to  her  in  response 
to  her  graciously  spoken  thanks  for  his  timely  as- 
sistance and  kindness. 

Mrs.  Richards  sat  absorbed  in  thought  for  some 
time  after  they  had  started  on  their  way.  She  was 
considerably  exercised  in  her  mind  regarding  what 
had  just  occurred.  She  felt  that  it  would  be  a 
great  wrong  to  Louis  to  allow  him  to  return  to  the 
miserable  life  from  which  he  had  fled  and  again 
come  unaer  the  influence  of  a  man  so  uncultured 


STEP   BY   STEP  65 

and  so  lacking  in  moral  responsibility  as  Nathan 
Black  appeared  to  be. 

"  Something  must  be  done  to  rescue  this  dear 
boy,"  she  mused.  "  I  cannot  be  reconciled  to  such 
a  fate  for  him." 

Glancipg  at  him,  she  found  him  looking  very 
gra.ve,  and  in  his  dark  eyes  there  was  a  pathetic 
expression  of  patient  endurance  that  touched  her 
deeply. 

"  Louis,"  she  said  softly  in  his  ear,  "  we  must 
not  forget  that  there  is  One  who  overrules  all  evil, 
so  '  let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,'  "  and  she  con- 
cluded by  giving  him  an  encouraging  little  pat  on 
the  shoulder. 

"  I — I'm  afraid  I  don't  quite  know  how  to  get 
along  without  worrying  about  this,"  the  boy  replied 
in  a  repressed  tone.  "  I  don't  want  to  go  back  to 
that  farm.  I  know  it  isn't  the  right  place  for  me, 
and- 

"  Well,  dear,  it  is  a  good  deal  to  know  that,"  his 
companion  hastened  to  say,  as  he  choked  up  sud- 
denly ;  "  and  now  if  you  can  also  know  that  God's 
child  can  never  be  anywhere  but  in  his  proper  place, 
God  \vi*l  surely  take  care  of  the  rest  of  it." 

Louis  glanced  up  quickly  at  her,  giving  her  a 
comprehensive  nod,  and  drew  in  a  long,  deep  breath. 
A  gleam  of  comfort  had  come  to  him  with  her  re- 
assuring words. 

"  That  is  just  what  Aunt  Martha  would  have 
said,"  he  returned,  with  a  smile  that  chased  much 
of  the  anxiety  from  his  young  face  and  left  him 
brighter  and  more  light-hearted. 


66  STEP  BY  STEP 

"  I  think  that  dear  woman  must  be  perfectly 
lovely,"  observed  Helen  Richards,  a  thrill  of  emo- 
tion in  her  voice  as  she  realized  what  a  lasting  in- 
fluence for  good  Miss  Wellington  had  exercised 
upon  the  character  of  this  child  whom  she  had  be- 
friended when  deprived  of  his  father  and  mother. 

"  She  is,"  the  boy  positively  affirmed.  "  Every- 
body loved  her,  though  sometimes  they  used  to  laugh 
at  her  '  queer  notions,'  as  they  called  them ;  but  you 
couldn't  come  where  she  was  without  feeling  that 
she  loved  you  and  that  everything  would  go  all  right 
as  long  as  she  was  around.  If  I  couldn't  have  my 
mother,  I — I  wish  I  might  have  kept  Aunt  Martha," 
he  concluded,  with  a  wistful  sigh  that  went  straight 
to  his  listener's  heart 

"  But  what  would  those  dear  little  children  out 
in  Colorado  have  done  without  her  ? "  she  gently  in- 
quired. 

"  I  didn't  think  of  that  I  suppose  they  did  need 
her  most  and  they  are  her  own  folks  too,"  responded 
Louis,  quick  to  perceive  the  delicately  implied  re- 
proof. 

"  Well,  dear,  we  must  not  forget  that  God  is  both 
father  and  mother  to  all  His  children,  and  everything 
will  come  right  if  we  do  our  best  and  leave  the 
results  to  Him,"  his  companion  rejoined,  adding: 
"  We  really  do  not  need  to  worry  about  the  affairs 
of  to-morrow  simply  because  we  cannot  see  our 
way  clear  to-day,  any  more  than  we  need  to  fear 
that  some  evil  will  overtake  us  during  the  night  be- 
cause the  sun  has  disappeared  and  left  the  earth 
in  darkness;  for  we  know  that  the  sun  is  still  shin- 


STEP   BY   STEP  67 

ing  and  if  we  wait  patiently  all  will  be  bright  again. 
Ah!  see  how  beautiful  the  lake  is  with  all  those 
gorgeous  colors  reflected  in  its  clear  depths !  "  she 
suddenly  exclaimed,  with  gleaming  eyes,  as  the  car 
rounded  a  curve  in  the  road  and  revealed  a  lovely 
sheet  of  water  surrounded  by  overhanging  trees, 
their  foliage  brilliant  with  a  thousand  wonderful 
tints  that  were  faithfully  reproduced  in  all  their 
richness  on  its  shining  surface.  "  What  a  delight- 
ful world  this  is  after  all,"  she  concluded  with  an 
appreciative  sigh. 

Louis'  glance  rested  admiringly  upon  the  ex- 
quisite picture,  his  somber  >eyes  gradually  brighten- 
ing, his  heavy  heart  involuntarily  rebounding  be- 
neath an  inspiration  something  like  that  which 
Longfellow  must  have  experienced  when  he  sang: 

There  is  a  beautiful  spirit  breathing  now 
Ita  mellow  richness  on  the  clustered  trees, 
And  from  a  beaker  full  of  richest  dyes 
Pouring  new  glory  on  the  autumn  woods 
And  dripping  in  warm  light  its  pillared  clouds. 

Then  after  a  minute  or  two  he  turned  an  almost 
adoring  look  upon  the  soul-lighted  countenance  be- 
side him. 

"  If  everybody  was  as  kind  as  you  and  your  folks, 
and  if  everybody  had  a  father  and  mother  and  a 
good  home,  I  think  it  would  be  a  beautiful  world," 
he  returned,  but  with  a  plaintive  note  in  his  tones 
that  was  meltingly  pathetic. 


68  STEP   BY   STEP 


CHAPTER   VI 

AFTER  her  return  from  church  and  their  Sunday 
dinner  was  over  Mrs.  Richards  related  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Weston  what  had  occurred  in  connection  with 
Louis  and  the  intoxicated  superintendent  who  had 
so  inopportunely  appeared  upon  the  scene;  where- 
upon there  followed  a  grave  discussion  regarding 
the  boy's  future  and  what  could  be  done  to  enable 
him  to  make  the  most  of  himself  in  life. 

"  As  I  said  last  night,  I  don't  really  need  a  boy, 
with  a  man  on  the  place,"  Farmer  Weston  reflec- 
tively observed  while  discussing  a  plan  that  had 
already  been  talked  over,  "  at  the  same  time  he's 
mighty  handy  to  have  around,  and,  after  what  you 
have  just  told  me,  I'd  even  be  willing  to  make  a 
place  for  him  rather  than  have  him  go  back  to  that 
New  Hampshire  poor-farm  to  be  under  a  brute  such 
as  you  describe." 

"  And  you  wouldn't  feel  it  a  burden,  father,  to 
assume  such  a  responsibility  at  your  time  of  life  ?  " 
his  daughter  inquired. 

"  A  burden,  Helen !  no,  indeed ;  he  has  made  me 
feel  younger  already  during  the  few  days  he  has 
been  here.  He  is  a  bright,  smart  little  chap  and 
I'm  drawn  to  him;  but  perhaps  mother " 

He  paused  abruptly  and  glanced  inquiringly  at 
his  wife. 


BY   STEP  69 

"  '  Mother '  will  only  be  too  happy  if  it  can  be 
arranged,  as  I  told  you  last  night,"  Mrs.  Weston  has- 
tened to  affirm,  adding :  "  I've  seen  many  a  lonely 
day  since  Clifford  went  home  and  wished  we  had 
a  nice  boy  here  to  fill  his  place." 

Clifford  was  the  son  of  a  favorite  niece,  and  had 
spent  the  previous  year  with  the  Westons,  attending 
a  select  school  in  a  neighboring  town,  while  his 
parents  were  traveling  abroad.  It  was  his  out- 
grown clothing  which  had  been  bestowed  upon 
Louis. 

"  Dear  mamma !  you  are  always  ready  to  reach 
out  a  helping  hand,"  said  Mrs.  Richards  apprecia- 
tively. "  It  will  be  no  sinecure  to  assume  the  train- 
ing of  such  a  boy,"  she  resumed  meditatively, 
"  although  any  one  can  see  that  he  is  well-bred  and 
has  been  under  lovely  influences,  especially7 during 
the  last  two  years.  There  will  be  expense,  too;, 
but  Will  and  I  will  take  care  of  that  if  you  will  give 
him  the  home — that  is,  if  we  can  arrange  the  legal 
formalities.  However,  William,,  being  a  lawyer,, 
will  know  how  to  manage  that  part  of  it,  and  he 
will  be  here  to-morrow  morning." 

They  talked  more  at  length  upon  the  subject,  and 
Louis  would  have  been  very  happy  if  he  could  have 
known  of  the  many  plans  that  were  discussed  in 
connection  with  his  future — provided  the  superin- 
tendent would  give  him  up. 

His  sleep  was  restful  and  unbroken  that  night, 
in  spite  of  the  impending  fate  which  seemed  to 
point  to  an  enforced  return  to  the  obnoxious  con- 


70  STEP  BY   STEP 

ditions  in  life  from  which  he  had  fled  only  a  few 
weeks  previous. 

But  he  arose  even  earlier  than  usual  the  next 
morning  and  went  directly  to  the  chopping  block 
upon  which  he  began  vigorous  work. 

"  If  I've  got  to  go  I'll  leave  Hannah  a  good  pile 
of  wood  to  remember  me  by,"  he  had  mentally  as- 
serted, while  dressing  himself  in  the  dim  light  of  the 
early  dawn. 

He  and  Hannah  had  become  great  friends  during 
the  few  days  of  his  sojourn  in  the  farmhouse.  He 
had  won  her  heart  by  his  readiness  to  forestall  her 
needs;  by  keeping  her  coal  scuttles  and  wood  box 
well  filled ;  running  to  the  cellar  for  vegetables,  and 
upon  other  errands  too  numerous  to  mention;  while 
in  return,  instinctively  knowing  how  the  growing 
boy  craves  frequent  reenforoements  for  his  active 
digestion  she  kept  him  generously  supplied  with 
gingerbread,  cookies  and  doughnuts  which  he 
affirmed  were  the  "  very  nicest  he  had  ever  tasted." 

On  this  occasion,  too,  he  knew  that  only  work  and 
plenty  of  it  would  keep  him  from  becoming  very 
restless  and  unhappy  while  awaiting  the  dreaded 
appearance  of  the  superintendent. 

Mr.  Richards  returned  during  the  forenoon,  when. 
he  was  warmly  welcomed  by  the  various  members 
of  the  family.  No  time  was  lost  in  telling  him 
the  history  of  the  stray  waif  who  had  wandered  into 
their  fold  during  his  absence,  and  their  benevolent 
plans  for  him. 

Hia   sympathies   also  were   at  once   enlisted   for 


STEP   BY   STEP  71 

the  boy,  and  he  said  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in 
getting  him  legally  transferred  to  their  guardian- 
ship, provided  he  was  willing  to  be  so  bound.  He 
advised,  however,  that  nothing  be  said  to  Louis  to 
arouse  his  hopes  until  after  he  had  looked  into  the 
matter  more  fully. 

The  forenoon  passed.  Still  Nathan  Black  did  not 
come.  Hour  after  hour  they  looked  for  him;  mo- 
ment by  moment  they  expected  him,  and  when  at 
last  the  sun,  like  a  huge  ball  of  fire,  rolled  softly 
out  of  sight  behind  a  bank  of  gorgeous  crimson  and 
purple  clouds  and  they  knew  it  was  too  late  for  any 

local  train  to  reach  the  town  of  in  New 

Hampshire  that  night,  they  began  to  think,  with 
lightened  hearts,  that  perhaps  he  might  not  come 
at  all. 

When  the  chores  were  all  done,  the  stock  com- 
fortably bedded  for  the  night,  and  the  barn  doors 
safely  locked,  Mr.  Weston  and  Louis  leisurely  bent 
'Veir  steps  toward  the  house,  breathing  freely  for 
the  first  time  that  day, 

"  Well,  my  lad,  your  man  didn't  put  in.  an  ap- 
pearance, after  all,"  the  farmer  observed,  while  hia 
glance  rested  very  kindly  upon  his  youthful  com- 
panion. 

Louis  lifted  a  pair  of  brilliant  eyes  to  him.  The 
man's  tone  was  so  kind,  his  look  so  friendly,  and  his 
own  relief  so  great,  the  last  vestige  of  the  burden 
of  dread  that  had  oppressed  him  all  day  in  spite  of 
his  efforts  to  "  let  God  take  care  of  it,"  rolled  from 
his  heart  and  he  suddenly  felt  light  as  air. 


72  STEP   BY   STEP 

The  next  moment  he  let  forth  a  resounding  whoop 
«f  triumph  as  he  turned  a  complete  somersault  and 
«ame  up  standing,  flushed  and  smiling,  before  his 
friend. 

"  Well,  I  declare !  there's  no  whoa  to  a  boy !  "  Mr. 
Weston  exclaimed,  with  a  chuckle  of  appreciation, 
in  view  of  the  clever  feat.  "  You've  worked  like  a 
trooper  all  day  and  yet  you  are  as  frisky  as  a  colt 
just  turned  out  to  pasture.  I  should  think  you'd 
be  too  tired  to  move." 

"  '  Tired,'  repeated  Louis  with  another  exultant 
shout,  as  over  he  went  again.  "  I'm  too  glad  to  be 
tired,"  he  added,  panting  from  the  exertion  as  he 
regained  his  feet. 

"  Glad  because  that  man,  Black,  didn't  come  ?  " 

Louis  nodded,  and  stooped  to  recover  his  hat, 
which  he  had  tossed  upon  the  ground  previous  to  his 
athletic  performances.  . 

"  So  you've  been  dreading  him  all  day  ? "  in- 
quiringly remarked  his  companion. 

"Yes,  sir;  but  it's  all  gone  now — the  dread." 

"  You  think  he  won't  come  at  all  ? " 

"  I  don't  know ;  he  may,"  said  Louis  thought- 
fully ;  "  but  I  don't  believe  I'll  ever  go  back  to  the 
farm  to  live." 

"  H'm.  What  has  given  you  that  assurance  ? " 
and  Mr.  Weston  eyed  him  curiously,  wondering  if 
he  could  have  overheard  anything  that  would  lead 
him  to  suspect  the  plans  which  the  family  had  in 
mind  for  him. 

Louis  flushed  and  seemed  embarrassed  by  the 
question. 


STEP  BY   STEP  73 

"  Tell  me,  my  boy ;  I  would  really  like  to  know 
what  has  made  you  so  light-hearted  all  at  once." 
The  farmer's  tone  was  kindly  insistent. 

"  'Twas  something  Mrs.  Richards  told  me  yester- 
day," returned  Louis,  in  a  low  voice,  while  he  diffi- 
dently dug  a  grimy  toe  into  the  ground. 

"  Well,  what  was  it  she  told  you  3  " 

"  She — said — if  I  would  know  that  God's  child 
can  never  be  anywhere  but  in  his  proper  place,  God 
would  take  care  of  the  rest  of  it ;  and  I've  been  say- 
ing it  over  all  day  and  trying  to  feel  it,"  the  boy  ex- 
plained. 

"  And  you  believed  it — you've  really  trusted  like 
that  ?  "  said  the  farmer  with  a  sense  of  condemna- 
tion for  his  own  lack  of  faith  as  compared  with  this 
child-like  confidence. 

"  I've  tried  to.  It's  been  a  kind  of  see-saw  most 
all  day  between  being  afraid  and  knowing;  but  the 
more  I've  said  it  over,  the  more  sure  I've  grown  to 
feel  about  it,  till  now  I  don't  feel  afraid  at  all." 
His  placid  face  testified  to  the  truth  of  his 
words. 

"  H'm !  What  you  and  Mrs.  Richards  call 
'  knowing,'  I  should  say  was  a  saving  kind  of  faith 
— rather  better  than  the  '  mustard-seed '  kind  I've 
been  sowing  for  more'h  forty  years  without  getting 
a  very  satisfactory  harvest,"  reflectively  remarked 
the  man.  "  But — suppose,  after  all,  that  man  should 
come  along  to-morrow  morning  and  trot  you  off  to 
New  Hampshire  with  him  ?  " 

Mr.  Weston  was  uncomfortably  conscious  that  this 


74  STEP  BY  STEP 

was  rather  a  cruel  thrust;  but  he  was  unaccountably 
impelled  to  put  the  boy  to  the  test. 

Louis'  face  fell  and  he  did  not  reply  for  a  mo- 
ment 

"  Well,"  he  said  at  length,  "  that  wouldn't  prove 
that  it  was  the  '  right  place '  for  me,  and  I  " — 
swallowing  hard — "  I  should  try  to  keep  on  knowing 
that  God  would  take  care  of  it,  just  the  same." 

Farmer  Weston  moved  on  again  toward  the  house 
without  making  any  further  comment  on  the  sub- 
ject; but  his  face  wore  a  very  thoughtful  look.  A 
little  later  he  repeated  this  conversation  to  his  wife 
and  gravely  observed  in  conclusion: 

"  There's  a  difference  between  Helen's  and  that 
boy's  faith  and  mine — it's  certainly  stronger  to 
*  know '  than  to  '  believe.'  I  guess  our  girl  hasn't 
got  so  far  off  the  track,  after  all,  and  if  that's  the 
kind  of  religion  she's  been  getting,  with  those  queer 
notions  of  her,  I'm  not  going  to  quarrel  with  her 
any  more  about  it." 

Mrs.  Weston  smiled  serenely  upon  her  husband 
without  replying.  She  had  long  been  growing  in 
sympathy  with  her  daughter's  higher  thought  and 
interpretation  of  the  Bible,  while  her  husband,  on 
the  contrary,  had  been  very  much  opposed  to  any 
innovations  upon  his  established  creed  and  its  literal 
explications. 

Although  secretly  amazed  by  this  acknowledged 
concession,  Mrs.  Weston,  being  a  wise  woman,  knew 
when  to  let  well  enough  alone  and  discreetly  held 
her  peace. 


STEP   BY   STEP  75 

"  A  little  child  shall  lead  them,"  she  quoted  soft- 
ly to  herself,  however,  as  she  left  him  to  go  and  tell 
Louis  that  Mr.  Richards  wanted  to  have  a  little  talk 
with  him  before  he  went  to  bed. 

She  found  him  in  the  kitchen  having  a  social  chat 
with  Hannah,  and  after  delivering  her  message  she 
observed : 

"  You'd  better  put  on  your  other  clothes  first,  then 
come  into  the  sitting-room." 

Louis  bounded  nimbly  away  to  his  chamber,  whis- 
tling merrily,  as  he  proceeded  to  obey  her  behest. 

He  had  only  seen  Mr.  Richards  from  a  distance 
as  yet;  but  after  thoughtfully  studying  him  for  a 
minute  or  two  he  had  decided  that  he  was  O.  K. 
and  just  about  the  kind  of  man  he  would  expect 
and  like  Mrs.  Richards'  husband  to  be. 

Mrs.  Weston  was  waiting  for  him  in  the  kitchen 
when  he  came  down  and  led  him  into  a  room  he 
had  not  seen  before,  and  where  he  found  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Richards  seated  by  a  blazing  wood  fire,  for  the 
evening  had  grown  chilly  after  the  sun  went  down. 

Mr.  Richards,  an  intellectual,  fine-looking  man, 
greeted  Louis  in  a  cordial,  off-hand  way  that  at  once 
put  the  boy  at  ease,  then  immediately  broached  the 
subject  he  wished  to  discuss. 

"  Mrs.  Richards  has  told  me  your  story,  Louis," 
he  began,  "  and  how  desirous  you  are  to  find  a 
better  home  than  the  farm  where  you  have  been 
living.  How  do  you  think  you  would  like  to  live 
here  with  Mr.  Weston?" 

The  boy's  face  grew  radiant. 


76  STEP  BY   STEP 

"Could  I?  Does  he  want  me?  Would  Mr. 
Black  let  me  ? "  he  burst  forth,  almost  breathless 
from  the  joyful  leap  his  heart  had  given  at  the  un- 
expected proposition. 

"  There  cannot  be  much  doubt  about  your  attitude 
regarding  such  an  arrangement,"  remarked  the  gen- 
tleman, smiling  at  his  eagerness.  "  Mr.  Black  can 
have  no  voice  whatever  in  the  matter;  that  will  be 
settled  by  the  proper  authorities  in  the  town  where 
you  have  lived.  Mrs.  Richards  has  set  her  face  very 
strongly  against  your  going  back  there,  and,  as  Mr. 
Weston  thinks  he  would  like  to  have  just  such  a 
boy  as  you  about  the  place,  she  has  proposed  that 
he  keep  you  with  him,  if  you  think  you  could  be 
happy  here." 

Louis  turned  an  adoring  look  upon  the  beautiful, 
daintily-robed  woman,  who,  sitting  on  one  side  of 
the  fireplace,  made  a  lovely  picture,  with  the  red 
light  of  the  flames  playing  over  her;  while  she, 
meeting  his  glance,  returned  it  with  a  friendly  nod 
and  smile. 

"  There  isn't  any  if  about  it,  sir,"  positively 
affirmed  the  boy,  but  in  a  voice  that  was  suspiciously 
tremulous. 

"  That's  easy,  then,"  said  Mr.  Richards  in  a 
cheery  tone ;  "  and  now  if  the  New  Hampshire 
business  can  be  arranged  as  quickly  and  harmoni- 
ously— and  I  think  it  can — we'll  soon  be  able  to 
make  a  Massachusetts  citizen  of  you.  How  old  are 
you,  my  boy  ?  " 

"  Twelve,  the  tenth  of  last  July." 


He  approached  the  house  with  a  heavy  step  and  a  surly  air. 

Page  8 1 


STEP  BY   STEP  77 

"  Twelve  ?  ~Not  quite  old  enough  yet  to  be  allowed 
to  choose  your  own  guardians ;  but  if  you  could  have 
your  say  about  it,  do  you  think  you  would  be  willing 
to  trust  me  to  manage  your  future  until  you  are 
twenty-one?  Mr.  Weston  thinks  he  would  prefer 
me  to  assume  that  responsibility." 

The  gentleman  awaited  the  youth's  reply  with  no 
little  interest. 

Louis'  dark  eyes  swept  both  faces  before  him  in 
a  lightning  glance. 

"  I'd  trust  any  of  you  with  everything/'  he  burst 
forth  impulsively,  but  with  certain  signs  of  emotion 
which  warned  his  friends  that  he  was  getting  too 
full  for  utterance,  and  it  might  be  as  well  to  change 
the  subject  for  the  time. 

"  I  thank  you  in  the  name  of  the  family,  Louis," 
returned  Mr.  Richards  with  a  pleasant  laugh ;  "  and 
since  you  are  so  complacent  we  will  regard  these 
preliminaries  as  settled  and  await  the  next  move 
from  Mr.  Black  before  we  take  any  further  steps. 
~Now,  dear,"  turning  to  his  wife,  "  suppose  we  have 
a  hymn  or  two  before  Louis  goes  to  bed  ?  " 

Mrs.  Richards  went  at  once  to  the  piano  and  the 
"  hymn  or  two  "  proved  to  be  half  a  dozen.  Louis 
was  invited  to  join  in  any  that  he  knew,  and,  being 
familiar  with  most  of  them,  his  fresh,  boyish  treble 
harmonized  very  pleasantly  with  their  maturer 
voices. 

Farmer  Weston  and  his  wife,  sitting  in  a  small 
adjoining  room,  paused,  the  one  in  his  reading,  the 
other  in  her  sewing,  to  listen,  an  expression  of  keen 


78  STEP  BY  STEP 

enjoyment  on  their  faces.  Mr.  Weston  even 
hummed  a  musical  tenor  to  the  second  verse  of  an 
old-time  favorite  of  his: 

"  Beneath  His  watchful  eye 

His  saints  securely  dwell. 
The  hand  that  bears  creation  up 
Shall  guard  His  children  well." 

"  That  sounds  like  a  different  song  as  they  sing 
it,  father,"  Mrs.  Weston  observed,  with  shining  eyes. 
"  They  seem  to  know  that  they  are  '  secure '  and 
every  word  bristles  with  a  different  meaning.  Lis- 
ten !  "  she  added  as  the  last  two  lines  of  the  next 
verse  rang  melodiously  and  triumphantly  through 
the  whole  house: 

"  I'll  drop  my  burden  at  His  feet 
And  bear  a  song  away." 

"  That's  just  what  they  know  how  to  do — just 
what  Louis  has  done  to-day — drop  their  burdens," 
she  went  on  wistfully.  "  Or  rather,  they  never  seem 
to  have  any  burdens  to  drop;  they're  always  well 
and  happy;  never  anxious,  care-worn  or  tired.  It 
certainly  is  a  more  practical  religion  than  we've  been 
taught,  Benjamin." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,  mother ;  I'm  in- 
clined to  think  our  good  old  faith  has  helped  us  to 
bear  a  good  many  burdens  during  the  forty  years 
we've  pulled  together,"  her  husband  opposed  with 


STEP   BY   STEP  79 

a  familiar  settling  of  his  square  chin  which  betrayed 
that  he  was  not  yet  ready  to  forsake  the  well-beaten 
paths  of  his  Presbyterian  fraternity. 

"  I  know  we've  tried  to  think  so,  but  it  has  never 
kept  us  from  worrying  ourselves  almost  to  death  be- 
fore some  of  them  rolled  off.  We've  said  God  would 
overrule  everything  for  good  and  we've  claimed  we 
believed  His  promises;  but  we  have  never  really 
trusted  or  dropped  the  burden  and  begun  to  sing 
because  we  knew  He  would  do  as  He  promised," 
Mrs.  Weston  remarked,  as,  with  hands  lying  idly 
upon  her  neglected  work,  she  thoughtfully  rocked 
back  and  forth  in  her  chair.  "  We  did  not  know 
how  to  let  go,"  she  went  on  musingly,  "  but  Helen 
does,  and  I  believe  that  boy  has  the  secret  of  it,  too. 
If  he  stays  with  us  I  shall  watch  the  practical  ap- 
plication of  his  faith  with  a  great  deal  of  interest." 

"  Well,  maybe  you're  right,  mother,"  Farmer 
Weston  at  length  observed,  although  it  was  evident 
he  was  laboring  under  strong  constraint,  "  maybe 
you're  right,  and  I've  no  authority  to  clip  your 
wings,  if  you've  begun  to  soar  into  Helen's  higher 
atmosphere;  but  I've  always  felt  that  the  old  way 
was  good  enough  for  me;  and  you  and  I  have  kept 
pace  for  so  many  years,  I  had  grown  to  feel  that  we 
would  go  on  together  to  the  end  of  the  journey." 

He  stopped  abruptly  and  turned  back  to  the  book 
he  had  been  reading;  but  evidently  it  had  lost  its 
interest  for  him,  for,  after  nervously  turning  its 
pages  for  a  few  minutes,  he  laid  it  down,  arose,  and 
left  the  room. 


80  STEP   BY   STEP 

"  He  isn't  satisfied  with  the  old  ruts  any  more 
than  I  am,"  murmured  his  wife,  gazing  wistfully 
at  the  door  through  which  he  had  passed.  "  The 
1  old  way '  is  good  as  far  as  it  goes,  but — it  doesn't 
go  far  enough." 

She  resumed  her  sewing,  taking  a  few  stitches 
until  a  great  tear  splashed  down  upon  it;  then  an- 
other and  another,  when,  casting  it  aside,  she  drew 
her  Bible  from  her  work-basket  and  was  soon  ab- 
sorbed in  the  study  of  its  well-worn  pages. 


STEP  BY   STEP  81 


CHAPTER   VII 

AFTER  breakfast  on  Tuesday  morning,  just  as 
Mr.  Weston  and  Louis,  armed  with  their  hoes  and 
basket,  were  on  the  point  of  starting  again  for  the 
potato  field,  they  observed  a  man  enter  the  side  yard 
and  approach  the  house  with  a  heavy  step  and 
surly  air. 

"  There  he  comes !  "  exclaimed  Louis,  with  a 
quick  indrawn  breath  of  dismay,  while  Ponce, 
also  catching  sight  of  the  intruder,  uttered  a  warn- 
ing bark  of  disapproval. 

"  The  man  Black  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Weston,  bend- 
ing a  look  of  keen  scrutiny  upon  the  unwelcome 
stranger. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  be  still,  Ponce !  "  and  Louis'  hand 
closed  firmly  over  the  collar  of  the  dog,  who  showed 
a  decided  inclination  to  make  himself  disagreeable 
to  the  intruder. 

The  superintendent  by  no  means  presented  a  very 
'prepossessing  appearance  as  he  came  nearer.  He 
was  even  more  repulsive  than  when  he  had  accosted 
Louis  on  Sunday.  His  bloated,  crimson  face  and 
bloodshot  eyes  gave  unmistakable  evidence  of  the 
demoralizing  debauch  of  the  last  few  days.  His 
linen  was  soiled  and  wrinkled,  his  clothes  dusty  and 
defaced;  and  his  unsteady  gait  betrayed  that  he 
was  still  under  the  influence  of  liquor. 


82  STEP  BY  STEP 

"  Here,  you  young  rascal !  "  he  called  out  coarsely 
as  he  caught  sight  of  Louis.  "  Get  on  your  togs 
and  come  along.  We'll  go  as  far  as  Lowell  by  the 
electrics  and  take  a  train  from  there.  Get  a  move 
on,  can't  you  ?  Don't  stand  there  staring  at  nothing, 
as  if  you'd  lost  your  wits,"  he  concluded,  with  an 
impatient  oath,  for  the  boy  seemed  half-dazed  by 
his  appearance.  He  had  really  begun  to  feel  that 
the  man  would  never  come  for  him. 

Mr.  Richards,  who  had  been  sitting  upon  the 
porch,  now  arose  and  moved  toward  the  steps. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,"  was  his  courteous  greeting. 
"  I  infer  that  you  are  Mr.  Black  ?  " 

"  Well,  that  is  supposed  to  be  my  name,"  the  man 
returned,  with  an  aggressively  rising  inflection  on 
each  word,  at  the  same  time  plunging  his  hands  into 
his  pockets  and  facing  the  gentleman  with  a  defiant 
air. 

"  Come  up  on  the  porch,  Mr.  Black,  and  have  a 
chair  while  you  are  waiting,"  Mr.  Richards  contin- 
ued in  a  friendly  tone,  as  he  placed  a  comfortable 
rocker  for  their  ill-mannered  visitor.  "  I  would  like 
to  have  a  little  talk  with  you  regarding  Louis,"  he 
added. 

Nathan  Black  shot  a  curious  look  at  the  speaker, 
who,  ignoring  his  rudeness,  had  addressed  him  with 
the  utmost  politeness.  He  hesitated  an  instant,  as 
if  uncertain  of  his  ground,  then  boldly  swaggered 
forward  and  threw  himself  noisily  into  the  proffered 
chair.  / 


STEP  BY   STEP  83 

"  Well,  what  have  you  got  to  say  about  the  brat  ?  " 
he  sullenly  demanded. 

"  Louis  came  to  us  last  Thursday ;  he  has  mado 
himself  very  helpful  and  agreeable,  and  we,  as  a 
family,  luive  become  deeply  interested  in  him  and 
would  like  to  keep  him  with  us,"  said  Mr.  Richards, 
coming  at  once  to  the  point.  "  We  feel  he  is  too 
bright  a  boy  to  be  reared  on  a  poor-farm,  and  as  my 
father-in-law,  Mr.  Weston,"  glancing  at  the  farmer 
who  had  approached  near  enough  to  overhear  the 
conversation,  "  is  willing  to  give  him  a  home  for 
what  he  can  do,  while  between  us  we  will  see  that 
he  is  properly  educated,  I  intended,  as  you  did  not 
come  for  him  yesterday,  to  write  to  the  officers  of 
your  town  to-day  and  make  them  a  proposition  tj 
this  effect." 

"  That  would  be  mighty  fine  for  the  boy !  " 
sneered  the  superintendent,  with  a  sinister  leer  at 
Louis,  which  caused  Ponce  to  prick  up  his  ears  and 
growl  threateningly  in  return ;  "  but  I've  nothing  to 
do  with  your  l  propositions.'  The  overseers  of  the 
poor  put  the  young  beggar  in  my  care,  and  as  I'm 
responsible  for  him,  he's  got  to  go  back  with  me,  now 
I've  found  him.  There's  been  a  devil  of  a  fuss 
over  his  disappearance,  as  it  is." 

Disagreeable  rumors  regarding  the  man's  ill  treat- 
ment of  the  boy  had  been  circulated  in  the  town, 
whereupon  there  had  ensued  an  uncomfortable  in- 
vestigation, which  by  no  means  had  increased  his 
liking  for  Louis. 

"  Suppose  I  pledge  my  word  to  send  him  back 


84  STEP  BY   STEP 

at  my  own  expense  if  the  authorities  reject  our  pro- 
posals ?  "  Mr.  Weston  here  interposed. 

"  No,  sir ;  he's  got  to  go  back  with  me  to-day," 
doggedly  affirmed  Nathan  Black,  his  flushed  face 
taking  on  an  even  deeper  hue  from  jealousy  and  ill- 
will,  in  view  of  the  esteem  in  which  Louis  appeared 
to  be  held  by  his  new  friends. 

"  Very  well,  if  that  is  your  decision,  I  shall  ac- 
company him  and  make  my  proposals  verbally," 
observed  Mr.  Richards  with  an  air  of  sudden  de- 
termination, and  rising  as  he  spoke  to  get  himself 
in  readiness  for  the  trip.  "  Perhaps,  after  all,  it 
will  be  the  better  plan  and  bring  the  matter  to  an 
earlier  settlement.  Louis,"  approaching  the  youth, 
who  had  quietly  remained  in  the  background,  "  go, 
get  ready ;  Mr.  Black  refuses  to  allow  you  to  remain 
with  us,  so  I  am  going  along  with  you  to  see  what 
can  be  done  for  you.  It  will  all  come  out  right,  my 
boy,  so  have  no  fear — I  am  almost  sure  I  shall  bring 
you  back  with  me,"  he  concluded  encouragingly, 
as  he  noticed  the  anxious  look  in  the  boy's  eyes 
and  that  he  had  grown  very  white  about  the  mouth. 

Louis  turned  reluctantly  away  and  mounted  to 
his  room.  His  heart  was  heavy  and  his  steps  fal- 
tered; but,  recalling  Mr.  Weston's  questions  of  the 
previous  evening  and  his  own  replies,  he  bravely 
tried  to  keep  on,  "  knowing  that  God  would  take  care 
of  it."  "  He  isn't  going  back  on  His  word  when  He 
has  promised  to  give  us  what  we  ask  for,"  he  said 
to  himself  as  he  was  hurriedly  dressing  for  his  trip  ; 
and  almost  instantly  the  burden  of  fear  and  dread 


STEP   BY   STEP  85 

rolled  from  his  heart  again,  leaving  him  calm  and 
hopeful. 

Fifteen  minutes  later,  the  trio  were  on  their  way 
to  New  Hampshire  with  the  expectation  of  reaching 
their  destination  late  that  afternoon. 

Ponce  would  have  followed  Louis,  and  whined 
piteously  when  his  master  sternly  commanded: 
"  Come  back  and  lie  down,  sir !  "  The  collie  ap- 
peared to  know  that  something  was  going  wrong  with 
his  new  friend,  and  several  times  during  the  day  he 
wandered  down  to  the  gate  through  which  the  boy 
had  passed  and  stood  looking  wistfully  in  the  direc- 
tion he  had  gone. 

The  party  had  a  long  ride  to  the  county  town  in 
New  Hampshire,  where,  after  an  hour's  wait,  they 
were  to  take  a  local  train  going  in  another  direction, 
and  where,  too,  Louis  was  first  introduced  to  our 
readers  at  the  fair. 

Here  Mr.  Richards,  thinking  he  betrayed  signs 
of  restlessness  and  thirst,  asked  Nathan  Black  to  lead 
the  way  to  the  best  inn  in  the  place,  saying  he  was 
hungry  and  would  act  as  host  for  the  party;  where- 
upon they  proceeded  to  a  very  good  hotel,  where  an 
appetizing  and  well-cooked  dinner  was  served  them, 
the  self-constituted  host  taking  care  that  most  of  the 
hour  was  spent  at  the  table,  so  leaving  only  a  few 
minutes  in  which  to  catch  their  train,  thus  making 
it  impossible  for  the  superintendent  to  secure  a 
coveted  drink.  Consequently,  for  the  first  time  in 
years,  after  one  of  his  periodical  visits  to  Boston, 
Nathan  Black  returned  to  his  home  a  sober  man. 


86  STEP   BY   STEP 

Upon  reaching  their  destination  Mr.  Richards, 
accompanied  by  Louis,  at  once  sought  the  proper 
town  officials  and  laid  his  proposals  before  them. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  they  found  im- 
mediate favor,  for  there  was  hardly  a  family  in  the 
place  who  had  not  been  deeply  grieved  to  have  so 
promising  a  boy  as  Louis,  the  son  of  one  of  their 
most  respected  citizens,  consigned  to  the  doleful  life 
and  doubtful  influences  of  their  home  for  the  poor; 
but  many  had  large  families  and  heavy  responsi- 
bilities of  their  own  and  could  not  add  to  them, 
while  others  were  too  poor  to  assume  a  burden  which 
they  knew  they  would  be  unable  to  carry. 

Not  much  could  be  done  that  evening,  but  an  in- 
terview was  arranged  for  the  following  morning, 
and  at  this  meeting  the  necessary  preliminary  steps 
were  taken  which  were  to  result  in  the  legal  appoint- 
ment of  William  Richards,  Esq.,  of  Chicago,  Illinois, 
as  guardian  to  Louis  Arnold,  who  was  thus  made — 
or  at  least  believed  himself  to  be — the  happiest  boy 
in  the  United  States. 

This  visit  also  gave  Louis  the  opportunity  to 
secure  a  few  little  treasures  which  Aunt  Martha  had 
preserved  for  him  at  the  time  of  the  auction — his 
mother's  work-box  and  its  contents,  some  family 
photographs,  a  box  containing,  among  other  things, 
some  choice  books  that  had  belonged  to  his  father 
and  which  she  wisely  judged  he  would  prize  later 
in  life;  and  there  were  also  a  few  well-chosen  gifts 
which  she  had  presented  to  him  from  time  to  time. 

These  had  all  been  consigned  to  the  care  of  a 


STEP  BY   STEP  87 

good  woman  in  the  village  when  he  was  sent  to  the 
farm,  and  it  was  with  a  light  heart  that  he  now 
went  to  claim  them  and  inform  her  of  the  promising 
future  awaiting  him. 

On  their  way  back  to  Boston  they  had  another 
wait  in  the  town  where  they  had  changed  cars  the 
previous  day,  and  Louis  asked  his  guardian's  per- 
mission to  run  about  a  little,  promising  to  be  on 
hand  before  it  was  time  for  their  train  to  leave. 

This  was  readily  granted,  and  the  boy  hurried 
away  to  the  post  office,  intent  upon  an  errand  which 
had  occupied  his  thoughts  a  good  deal  of  the  time 
during  his  trip  the  day  before. 

"  Well,  my  son,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ? "  the 
genial  postmaster  inquired  in  a  kindly  tone,  as  Louis 
presented  himself  at  the  general  delivery  window. 

"  I've  come  to  ask,  sir,  if  you  know  a  boy  in  this 
town  by  the  name  of  Ted,  or  a  girl  called  Gipsy  ? " 
Louis  questioned,  but  flushing  with  embarrassment 
as  he  realized  the  awkwardness  of  the  situation  in 
being  compelled  to  be  so  indefinite  regarding  the 
parties  he  wished  to  find. 

"  '  A  boy  named  Ted  and  a  girl  called  Gipsy' !  " 
repeated  the  man,  a  smile  of  amusement  hovering 
about  his  lips.  "  I'm  afraid  that  is  a  riddle  I  shall 
be  unable  to  solve  unless  you  give  me  more  of  a  cue. 
Don't  you  know  the  last  name  of  the  young  people  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  but  I'll  tell  you  why  I'm  trying  to 
find  them,"  said  Louis  confidentially,  and  he  pro- 
ceeded to  relate  the  incidents  of  the  day  of  the 
county  fair,  when  he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of 


88  STEP  BY  STEP 

Ted  and  Gipsy,  and  the  latter  had  presented  him 
with  a  bag  of  candy  in  which  he  had  afterwards 
found  the  pretty  ring  belonging  to  her,  and  which 
he  was  now  trying  to  return  to  its  owner. 

The  postmaster  gave  his  closest  attention  to  the 
story,  but  shook  his  head  doubtfully  when  it  was 
concluded.  "  I'm  afraid  I  can't  help  you,  my  boy," 
he  said,  but  smiled  sympathetically  into  the  earnest 
face  uplifted  to  his.  "  I  don't  know  any  girl  named 
Gipsy.  Ted  sounds  as  if  it  might  be  short  for  Theo- 
dore, but  I  do  not  think  of  anyone  answering  to 
your  description.  Possibly  the  family  does  not  live 
here — they  may  have  come  to  the  fair  from  some 
adjoining  town,  or  they  may  be  merely  summer  resi- 
dents somewhere  in  the  country.  I  am  sorry,  my 
lad,  since  you  are  so  anxious  to  restore  the  ring; 
doubtless  Miss  Gipsy  herself  experienced  no  little 
regret  over  the  unfortunate  episode." 

"  That's  the  worst  of  it,  sir — to  think  she  had  to 
be  made  so  unhappy  when  she  tried  to  be  so  kind 
to  me/'  Louis  regretfully  returned. 

"  I  guess  she  must  have  dipped  her  own  small 
fingers  into  that  bag  of  sweets  before  she  passed  it 
over  to  you. .  What's  your  opinion  ?  "  facetiously 
remarked  the  postmaster. 

"  That's  what  I  thought,  too,"  said  Louis,  flush- 
ing, and  with  an  answering  dimple  showing  in  either 
cheek.  "  But  I  thank  you,  sir,  for  being  so  kind," 
he  added,  lifting  his  hat  as  he  backed  away  from 
the  window  and  left  the  office. 

"  It's  too  confounded  bad  and  makes  me  darned 


STEP   BY   STEP  89 

mad!  "  he  impatiently  exclaimed  as  he  stepped  out 
upon  the  street.  Then  he  stopped  short,  flushing 
consciously  and  added :  "  I  guess  Aunt  Martha'd 
have  given  me  a  black  mark  for  those  words  if  she'd 
heard  me;  but  I  was  sure  I'd  get  Gipsy's  name  at 
the  office." 

He  had  been  building  a  very  pretty  castle  in  the- 
air  all  the  way  up  from  Boston  the  day  before,  and 
it  was  exceedingly  disappointing  to  have  it  thus 
demolished  by  a  single  blow.  He  had  fondly  be- 
lieved there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining 
the  identity  of  Miss  Gipsy,  by  paying  a  visit  to  the 
post  office.  Then,  having  learned  her  name,  he 
intended  writing  her  a  letter  in  which  he  would 
inclose  her  ring  and  tell  her  where  he  had  found 
it  and  how  glad  he  was  to  return  it. 

Of  course  she  would  have  to  reply,  thanking  him, 
or  perhaps  Ted  would  write  for  her;  thus  he  hoped 
a  correspondence  would  be  established  that  would 
keep  him  in  touch  with  them,  or  result  in  his  meet- 
ing them  again  sometime.  But  these  cherished 
plans  had  come  to  naught,  and  his  sense  of  disap- 
pointment was  so  great  that  he  had  allowed  himself 
to  become  excessively  irritated  even  to  the  extent 
of  using  unbecoming  language. 

He  paused  in  his  walk  and  leaned  against  an 
electric-light  post,  looking  both  cross  and  unhappy. 
"  Look  here,  Louis  Arnold,  this  isn't  going  to  do," 
he  said  after  a  moment ;  "  you've  no  business  to  get 
mad  over  a  little  thing  like  that,  when  you've  just 
had  so  much  come  to  you  to  be  thankful  for.  Let's 


90  STEP   BY   STEF 

see  " — lifting  a  thoughtful  look  to  a  group  of  fleecy 
clouds  that  were  skimming  across  the  sky  above  him 
as  if  seeking  light  upon  a  difficult  problem — 
"  there's  a  Bible  rule  for  everything  and  there  must 
be  one  that'll  fit  this.  That  ring  belongs  to  Gipsy, 
and  it  is  right  for  me  to  get  it  back  to  her  some  way. 
It  says  '  Seek  and  ye  shall  find,'  so  I'm  going  to 
try  to  know  that  I  shall  find  what  it  is  right  for  me 
to  seek.  There!  that  is  the  best  I  know  how  to  do 
and  I'm  not  going  to  worry  over  it  any  more."  He 
started  on  his  way  again  with  a  bright  face  and 
alert  step,  soon  rejoining  Mr.  Richards  at  the  sta- 
tion, where,  ten  minutes  later,  they  boarded  their 
train  for  home.  After  they  were  comfortably 
seated  Louis  drew  forth  from  an  inside  pocket  of 
his  jacket  a  small  package  tied  with  a  narrow,  blue 
ribbon.  This  he  carefully  removed  and  also  the 
wrapper,  revealing  half  a  dozen  photographs  which 
he  began  to  study  earnestly. 

"  What  have  you  there,  Louis  ?  "  inquired  Mr. 
Richards,  who  had  been  observing  him  with  con- 
siderable interest. 

"  Some  pictures — this  is  my  mother's,"  said  the 
boy,  with  a  tender  thrill  of  mingled  pride  and  love 
in  his  tone;  and  the  gentleman  found  himself  look- 
ing upon  the  face  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
women  he  had  ever  seen,  while  he  also  saw  that 
Louis  resembled  her  to  a  remarkable  degree. 

"  And  this  is  one  of  my  father,"  the  lad  continued, 
as  he  presented  another  of  a  young  man  who  ap- 
peared to  have  been  about  thirty  years  of  age  at  the 


STEP  BY   STEP  91 

time  it  was  taken.  He  had  a  well-shaped  head,  a 
refined,  intellectual  face;  but  there  was  a  look  of 
delicacy  in  both  frame  and  features  that  indicated 
a  lack  of  strength  and  vitality. 

"  Your  father  and  mother  both  look  like  cultured 
people,  Louis,"  Mr.  Richards  observed,  after  study- 
ing the  faces  intently.  "  Aha !  " .  and  he  smiled 
broadly  as  the  boy  shyly  slipped  the  likeness  of  an 
infant  in  long  clothes  into  his  hand,  "  this  little  chap 
is  wonderfully  like  you;  I  am  sure  he  was  named 
Louis  Arnold." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  that  was  taken  when  I  was  six  months 
old,"  he  replied.  "  I  think  this  must  be  my  grand- 
mother," he  added,  handing  him  a  rather  faded  pic- 
ture of  an  elderly  woman,  "  but  I  am  not  quite  sure, 
only  I  think  my  mother  looks  a  little  like  her — I 
never  saw  it  before.  And  this  man — I  don't  know 
anything  about.  I  found  the  pictures  in  a  box  of  old 
letters  put  away  with  some  books. 

"  Ah,  an  English  captain !  "  observed  his  com- 
panion as  he  saw  the  stalwart  form  in  its  trig,  Brit- 
ish uniform ;  while  from  the  intelligent,  resolute  face 
and  the  alert,  yet  dignified  attitude  of  the  figure 
he  was  impressed  that  the  man  must  have  been  a 
strong  and  self-reliant  character. 

Turning  the  card  over  he  saw  written  on  the  back, 
in  a  clear,  somewhat  precise  hand: 

"  Captain  John  Sherburne,  of  Her  Majesty's  Fifty- 
seventh." 

"  He  looks  a  soldier,  every  inch,"  said  Mr.  Rich- 
ards ;  "  perhaps  he  was  your  grandfather  ?  " 


92  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  No,  sir,  for  my  mother's  name  was  Annie  Jud- 
kins.  He  may  have  been  her  uncle,  but  I  don't 
"know — she  never  seemed  to  like  to  talk  about  her 
folks,  though  she  would  sometimes  tell  me  of  things 
that  happened  in  England  when  she  was  a  little 
girl,"  Louis  explained. 

"  Then  she  was  English,"  remarked  his  listener. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  she  was  born  there,  but  came  here 
when  she  was  about  ten  years  old." 

"  I  see  you  have  still  another  picture,"  Mr.  Kich- 
ards  observed,  glancing  at  an  envelope  which  Louis 
had  separated  from  the  others. 

The  boy  made  no  reply,  but  quietly  drawing 
forth  the  card  it  contained  laid  it  in  his  hand,  and 
the  man  found  himself  looking  into  the  face  of  a 
woman  of  perhaps  forty  years  of  age. 

It  was  not  a  beautiful  face,  it  was  not  even  strik- 
ing; but  it  was  a  fine  face,  strong  and  earnest,  yet 
gentle  and  lovable. 

A  small,  symmetrical  head  was  well  poised  upon 
a  slender  neck  above  a  pair  of  graceful  shoulders. 
A  pair  of  clear,  true,  soulful  eyes  looked  out  from 
beneath  a  thoughtful  brow;  the  nose  was  straight, 
the  nostrils  delicately  chiseled;  the  mouth  was  firm, 
yet  tender ;  indeed  all  the  features  were  clear-cut  and 
regular  and  were  all  aglow  with  some  inward  love- 
liness that  was  far  more  attractive  than  mere  phys- 
ical beauty.  Character,  individuality  and  love  for 
humanity  were  written  on  every  lineament. 

It  was  a  modern  photograph,  well  taken  and  well 
finished,  and  as  he  studied  it  with  increasing  in- 


STEP  BY   STEP  93 

terest,  Mr.  Richards  found  himself  wishing  that 
he  might  know  the  woman  whom  it  represented. 
Louis  watched  him  curiously,  noting  the  apprecia- 
tive expression  in  his  fine  eyes.  "  That  is  Aunt 
Martha,  sir,"  he  at  length  volunteered  in  a  tone  of 
mingled  affection  and  pride,  while  his  glance 
dropped  fondly  to  the  face  he  loved  so  well. 

"  Indeed !  Well,  she  looks  just  as  I  would  expect 
the  woman  you  have  told  us  about  to  look.  I  am 
sure,  my  boy,  Miss  Wellington  is  one  in  a  thousand, 
and  you  have  a  right  to  love  and  be  proud  of  such 
a  friend,"  returned  his  companion  as  he  gave  back 
the  likeness  to  the  lad,  who  carefully  replaced  it  in 
its  envelope  and  tucked  it  away  by  itself  into  one 
of  his  pockets. 

Then,  gathering  up  the  others,  he  made  them  into 
a  neat  package,  retying  the  blue  ribbon  around  the 
wrapper  as  deftly  as  a  girl  would  have  tied  it ;  after 
which  he  put  it  snugly  away,  as  he  supposed,  into  the 
inner  pocket  of  his  jacket  from  which  he  had 
taken  it. 

Half  an  hour  later  they  alighted  at  the  station 
in  their  own  town,  when  a  ride  of  ten  minutes  more 
on  a  trolley  brought  them  to  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  Farmer  Weston's  home,  where  they  were  cor- 
dially welcomed  by  the  entire  family,  not  excepting 
Ponce,  who  manifested  the  most  extravagant  delight 
over  Louis'  return. 

After  Mr.  Richards  and  Louis  had  stepped  from 
the  train  at  the  end  of  their  journey,  a  fine-looking, 


94  STEP  BY  STEP 

richly-dressed  lady  boarded  the  same  car  and, 
strangely  enough,  slipped  into  the  very  seat  they  had 
just  vacated.  Opening  a  handsome  bag  which  hung 
from  her  wrist,  she  found  her  ticket,  but  in  the  act 
of  closing  the  receptacle  again  the  bit  of  pasteboard 
dropped  from  her  fingers  and  fell  fluttering  to  the 
floor  under  the  seat  in  front  of  her. 

Stooping  to  recover  it,  she  found  lying  just  at 
her  feet  a  small  package,  tied  with  a  blue  ribbon. 

"  Ah !  some  one  has  lost  it,"  she  murmured,  view- 
ing it  curiously.  "  I  wonder  if  it  is  anything  that  is 
valuable!  I  think  I  will  be  justified  in  examining 
it  to  ascertain  if  it  will  be  worth  advertising." 

But  the  conductor  making  his  appearance  just  at 
that  moment,  she  dropped  it  into  her  bag  while  she 
asked  some  question  about  the  arrival  of  the  train 
in  town,  so  for  the  time  the  package  was  forgot- 
ten. 

When  she  alighted  from  her  car,  on  reaching 
Boston,  she  was  met  by  a  portly,  prosperous-looking 
man,  to  whom,  after  saluting  him  affectionately, 
she  remarked :  "  John,  dear,  have  you  had  a  good 
day  ?  I  hope  your  business  is  satisfactorily  ar- 
ranged and  we  can  go  on  to-night.  I  am  longing  to 
get  home." 

"Yes,  Madelaine,  everything  has  gone  smoothly, 
and  I  have  just  secured  a  section  in  a  Pullman  train 
that  will  leave  at  nine.  Meantime,  we'll  run  up  to 
the  Touraine  for  a  good  dinner  and  a  little  rest," 
the  gentleman  replied,  at  the  same  time  beckoning 
to  a  cabman  who  was  hovering  near  them. 


STEP  BY   STEP 


95 


When  they  were  seated  within  the  vehicle,  and 
while  the  lady  was  looking  for  her  handkerchief, 
the  little  package  came  to  light. 

"  Oh,  see  what  I  have  found !  "  she  exclaimed, 
and  slipping  it  into  her  companion's  hand  she  ex- 
plained how  it  had  come  into  her  possession. 

"  What  is  in  it  ?  "  the  man  inquired,  eyeing  it 
curiously. 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  haven't  looked." 

The  gentleman  pulled  the  ribbon,  removed  the 
wrapper  and  his  glance  fell  upon  the  photograph  of 
an  English  soldier,  resplendent  in  his  captain's  uni- 
form. It  possessed  no  interest  for  him,  however, 
until,  almost  unconsciously,  he  reversed  the  card 
and  read,  written  there: 

"  Capt.  John  Sherburne  of  Her  Majesty's  Fifty- 
seventh." 

Fortunately  his  wife  was  at  that  moment  engaged 
in  disentangling  the  lace  on  her  sleeve  from  the 
fastening  of  her  bag,  otherwise  she  must  have  ob- 
served the  violent  start  and  strange  appearance  of 
her  husband. 

There  was  not  an  atom  of  color  in  his  face,  a  wild 
look  of  fear  had  leaped  into  his  eyes  and  great 
drops  of  perspiration  gathered  thick  upon  his  fore- 
head and  about  his  mouth. 

For  a  moment  everything  grew  dark  about  him 
and  consciousness  seemed  about  to  fail  him.  Sud- 
denly reaching  forth  his  hand  he  dashed  down  the 
window  beside  him. 

"  How  close  the  carriage  is !  "  he  muttered,  and, 


96  STEP   BY   STEP 

leaning  out,  he  drew  a  full,  deep  breath,  whereupon 
he  began  to  recover  himself  somewhat. 

"  Yes,  and  there  is  a  bad  odor  here,  too — stale 
smoke,  I  think,"  returned  the  lady  still  busy  with 
her  lace.  "  There !  "  she  added  as  she  finally  released 
the  delicate  fabric,  "  this  ruffling  is  always  catching 
on  something.  Now,  tell  me  what  treasures  you  have 
discovered  in  that  mysterious  little  package,"  she 
laughingly  concluded  as  she  leaned  forward  to  look 
within  the  wrapper. 

"  Nothing  but  a  few  photographs,"  her  companion 
managed  to  say  in  an  indifferent  tone,  while  he 
dexterously  separated  the  picture  of  the  soldier  from 
the  others  and  passed  them  to  her. 

"  Not  a  very  valuable  possession,  yet  no  doubt 
whoever  lost  them  prized  them  highly,"  observed 
his  wife  as  she  looked  them  over,  adding  with  a 
wistful  note  in  her  voice :  "  What  a  dear,  pretty 
baby!  such  lovely  eyes!  just  like  his  mother's. 
Hadn't  we  better  advertise  them,  John  ?  " 

The  man's  heart  leaped  into  his  throat  at  the 
suggestion. 

"  Well,  perhaps,"  he  said  after  a  moment  of 
hesitancy.  "  I'll  see  about  the  matter  later,"  and 
gently  taking  them  from  her  he  replaced  the  wrap- 
per and  ribbon,  then  shoved  them  into  the  depths 
of  an  inner  pocket,  drawing  a  long  breath  of  relief 
as  he  did  so. 

"  They  wouldn't  let  you  have  Josie  ? "  he  re- 
marked inquiringly  a  moment  later. 

"  No,  Harriet  thought  it  would  make  a  bad  break 


STEP  BY   STEP  97 

in  her  school,  but  she  said  she  might  spend  the  next 
vacation  with  us,  if  we  care  to  have  her,"  returned 
his  wife. 

"  If  we  care  to  have  her,"  repeated  her  husband 
with  a  suggestive  laugh.  "  Why,  I'd  give  half  my 
fortune  if  Josephine  Ashton  was  our  own  daughter." 

Th6  lady  sighed  softly. 

"  How  fond  of  Josie  you  are !  "  she  said,  then 
added  regretfully :  "  But  I  am  afraid  she  is  getting 
a  little  spoiled  by  wealth  and  overindulgence;  she 
showed  signs  of  selfishness  and  snobbishness  during 
our  visit." 

"  Oh,  that  will  all  wear  off.  She  has  the  real  stuff 
in  her  and  will  make  a  mighty  fine  woman  by  and 
by,"  confidently  asserted  the  man  in  defense  of  his 
favorite,  and  the  next  moment  the  cab  came  to  a 
stop. 

A  moment  or  two  later  he  was  standing  in  the 
office  of  the  Touraine,  making  an  entry  in  the 
register. 

This  was  what  he  wrote : 

"  John  Sherburne  and  wife,  Chicago,  Illinois." 

And  John  Sherburne  was  the  man  who,  on  the 
day  of  the  county  fair  in  Xew  Hampshire  a  few 
weeks  previous,  had  been  so  startled  upon  beholding 
Louis  Arnold,  as  that  gentleman  was  driving  by  the 
judges'  stand;  and  who,  later,  had  sought  him  out 
again  and,  armed  with  a  tempting  bag  of  peanuts 
to  attract  his  attention,  had  questioned  him  regard- 
ing his  parentage.  His  wife  was  the  lady  who  had 
been  his  companion  in  the  carriage  at  that  time. 


98  STEP  BY   STEP 


CHAPTER   VIII 

ON  his  return  from  New  Hampshire  Louis  felt 
very  light-hearted  as  he  reentered  the  hospitable 
farmhouse,  where  he  was  so  cordially  welcomed.  It 
was  to  be  his  home.  There  was  now  a  place  in  the 
world  which  he  could  feel  was  his  own,  because  what 
service  he  could  give  would  be  regarded  to  some  ex- 
tent at  least  as  an  equivalent  for  what  he  received ; 
and  he  would  no  longer  be  subjected  to  abuse  and 
degrading  slurs  on  account  of  his  poverty  and  de- 
pendence. 

"  So,  Louis,  you  have  come  back  to  be  our  boy  ?  " 
Mr.  Weston  remarked  as  he  laid  his  hand  kindly  on 
the  lad's  shoulder  and  smiled  into  his  animated  face 
and  happy  eyes. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  hope  you  don't  feel  homesick,  now  that  the  die 
is  cast,"  and  a  twinkle  gleamed  in  the  man's  own 
eyes,  as  he  contrasted  the  youth's  present  appearance 
with  his  dejection  of  the  previous  morning. 

"  No,  sir,"  emphatically,  and  Louis'  eyes  wan- 
dered appreciatively  around  the  cosey  sitting-room, 
all  rose-hued  from  the  crimson  shaded  lamp  on  the 
table  and  the  cheerful  blaze  upon  the  hearth,  and 
finally  rested  contentedly  upon  Mrs.  Weston's  moth- 


STEP   BY   STEP  99 

erly  face.  "  No,  sir,"  he  repeated ;  "  I've  never 
been  in  so  nice  a  place  since  my  father  and  mother 
went  away." 

"  And  I  hope  you  both  have  brought  back  a  good 
appetite,"  Mrs.  Weston  here  interposed,  for  her 
quick  ear  had  caught  the  slight  faltering  of  the 
boy's  tone  as  he  referred  to  his  parents.  "  Supper 
is  all  ready  and  we  were  only  waiting  for  you  to 
come.  And,  Louis,"  leading  the  way  into  the  din- 
ing-room and  laying  her  hand  upon  a  chair  at  her 
left,  "  you  are  to  eat  with  us  and  sit  here,  now  that 
you  belong  to  us." 

And  Louis  felt  almost  too  happy  to  contain  him- 
self upon  being  thus  promoted  to  a  place  with  the 
family.  He  had  hitherto  eaten  with  Hannah  in 
the  kitchen,  and,  although  he  had  been  grateful  for 
that  privilege,  and  had  had  plenty  to  appease  his 
hunger,  it  had  not  been  particularly  homelike,  after 
Aunt  Martha's  daintily  appointed  table,  though  far 
better  than  the  one  at  the  farm. 

After  supper  they  all  gathered  around  the  fire  in 
the  sitting-room  and  passed  a  social  hour  together, 
discussing  the  various  incidents  connected  with  the 
recent  trip,  and  much  gratification  was  expressed 
because  everything  had  been  so  expeditiously  and 
satisfactorily  arranged. 

When  Louis  was  about  to  retire  for  the  night  Mrs. 
Weston  remarked : 

"  Louis,  hereafter  you  are  to  have  the  little  room 
at  the  head  of  the  backstairs;  you  know  the  one  I 
mean.  Pleasant  dreams  to  you,  dear.  I  am  very 


ioo  STEP   BY   STEP 

glad  your  home  is  to  be  with  us,"  she  concluded  in 
a  motherly  tone. 

Louis  lifted  an  indescribable  look  to  her;  then, 
with  a  low- voiced  "  good  night  "  to  them  all,  quickly 
left  the  room. 

Mrs.  Weston  had  called  him  "  dear,"  just  as  if 
he  really  belonged  to  them,  and  the  softly  spoken 
word  of  affection  caused  such  a  lump  to  come  into 
his  throat  that  he  was  obliged  to  get  out  of  sight  as 
soon  as  possible — "  before  he  made  a  girl  of  him- 
self and  cried,"  he  confidentially  whispered  in  the 
ear  of  Ponce,  whose  feathery  tail  thumped  a  wel- 
come upon  the  floor  as  he  came  into  the  kitchen, 
where,  stooping  down,  Louis  gave  the  collie  a  vig- 
orous hug  to  relieve  the  tension  of  the  moment. 

His  face  glowed  with  delight  when,  upon  mount- 
ing the  back  stairs,  he  entered  his  new  room. 

"  By  Jingo !  this  is  just — bully !  "  he  exclaimed 
with  boyish  enthusiasm  as  his  sweeping  glance  took 
in  its  furnishings — the  pretty  white  bed  with  its 
spotless  spread;  the  strip  of  bright  carpeting  laid 
over  the  matting  before  it ;  the  dainty  muslin  draper- 
ies at  the  windows,  and  other  attractive  though 
simple  accessories.  There  was  a  new  comb  and 
brush  and  toothbrush  on  one  end  of  his  bureau;  a 
tiny  clock  on  the  opposite  side;  and  a  pretty  pin- 
cushion in  the  center. 

A  small  table  covered  with  an  immaculate  towel 
stood  between  the  windows,  and  upon  it  rested  a 
well-worn  Testament,  with  some  other  books.  In 
one  corner  there  was  a  commode  furnished  with  a 


STEP  BY   STEP  101 

pitcher,  bowl  and  towels;  and  on  the  wall  opposite 
there  hung  a  couple  of  shelves  on  which  a  few  more 
books  were  neatly  arranged. 

"Oh,  I  just  wish  Aunt  Martha  could  see  it!" 
he  breathed,  with  a  long-drawn  sigh  of  content. 
"  She'd  be  awfully  glad ;  but  I'll  write  her  all  about 
it,"  he  concluded  as  he  put  his  light  upon  the  table 
and  took  up  his  Testament  for  his  evening  reading. 

During  his  absence  Jerry  McLeod,  the  hired  man, 
had  returned  to  the  farm  and  Louis  was  formally/ 
introduced  to  him  the  next  morning  when  he  went 
below  at  the  usual  hour  to  assist  with  the  chores. 
The  man  was  Scotch  by  birth  and  had  come  to  this 
country  when  a  lad  of  ten.  He  had  entered  Mr. 
Weston's  employ  at  the  age  of  seventeen  and  had 
served  him  faithfully  for  fifteen  years;  conse- 
quently he  regarded  himself  as  a  permanent  fixture 
on  the  place,  if  indeed  he  did  not  consider  that  he 
was  the  monarch  of  all  he  surveyed. 

He  had  appeared  somewhat  crestfallen  when  in- 
formed that  henceforth  there  was  to  be  a  boy  on 
the  farm;  for,  naturally,  he  was  inclined  to  be  jeal- 
ous of  his  position  and  did  not  relish  the  idea  of 
having  another  step  into  the  traces  there  to,  per- 
haps, eventually  crowd  him  out 

He  looked  askance  at  Louis  when  Hannah  intro- 
duced them  and  mumbled  a  rather  gruff  "  mornin' ;" 
then  experienced  another  twinge  of  jealousy  when 
Ponce,  leaping  forward  with  a  joyous  bark,  arose  on 
his  hind  legs  and  placing  his  paws  on  the  boy's 
shoulders  licked  his  cheek  in  affectionate  greeting. 


102  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  Humph !  don't  need  a  boy  here  any  more'n  the 
buggy  needs  five  wheels,"  Jerry  grimly  informed 
Hannah,  as  Louis,  followed  by  the  collie,  left  the 
kitchen. 

"  Mebbe  not ;  but  the  boy  needed  a  home,"  sen- 
tentiously  rejoined  the  maid,  "  and,"  she  added,  a 
mischievous  sparkle  in  her  keen,  black  eyes,  "  he's 
the  very  nicest  boy  I  ever  did  see." 

Now,  as  Hannah  had  been  at  the  farm  even  longer 
than  Jerry,  this  was  rather  a  sharply  barbed  arrow 
from  her  quiver  and  did  not  tend  to  soothe  the  man's 
ruffled  feelings,  even  though  he  was  accustomed  to 
her  chaffing  and,  under  certain  circumstances,  rather 
enjoyed  it. 

"  You  don't  say,  Mis'  Belknap,"  he  retorted  with 
bland  sarcasm.  "  Much  obleeged  to  you,  I'm  sure," 
and  he  made  a  would-be-dignified  exit  through  the 
back  door,  which,  however,  he  did  not  close  very 
softly  after  him. 

Louis  resumed  his  duties  in  a  very  happy  frame 
of  mind  and  was  made  even  more  light  of  heart 
when  Mr.  Weston  informed  him  that  he  was 
to  begin  school  the  following  Monday.  As  an  offset 
to  this,  however,  lie  also  learned  that  Mr.  Richards 
and  his  wife  would  leave  for  the  West  on  the  same 
day. 

Saturday  these  kind  friends  took  him  to  Boston 
to  provide  him  with  a  suitable  outfit  for  winter. 
It  was  a  wonderful  experience  for  him  as  he  went 
about  the  busy  streets  of  the  city,  visiting  the  various 
stores  to  make  his  purchases.  He  had  never  had 


STEP  BY   STEP  103 

such  nice,  stylish  clothing  before,  and  said  to  him- 
self, as  he  noted  the  generous  sums  of  money  paid 
out  for  it,  that  Mr.  Kichards  must  be  an  "  awful 
rich  man/'  He  wondered,  too,  how  he  could  ever 
do  enough  to  make  up  for  the  many  favors  he  was 
receiving. 

Monday  morning  his  guardian  accompanied  him 
to  school  and  introduced  him  to  the  principal,  who, 
after  an  examination,  assigned  him  to  the  eighth 
grade;  but  told  him,  as  he  was  so  late  in  entering, 
he  would  have  to  work  diligently  in  order  to  make 
up  arrears  and  keep  with  his  class. 

That  same  evening  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards  left  for 
Chicago,  and  life  at  the  farm  fell  into  its  usual 
routine. 

Louis  proved  himself  a  good  worker  both  at  home 
and  in  school.  He  was  not  a  brilliant  scholar,  but, 
being  a  conscientious  student,  his  lessons  were  well 
prepared,  and  recited  in  a  way  to  show  that  he  com- 
prehended what  he  had  learned. 

He  was  well  received  by  his  schoolmates  and 
proved  himself  a  "  jolly  good  fellow,"  entering  into 
all  their  sports  with  a  hearty  abandon  which  testified 
to  his  thorough  enjoyment  of  them. 

Since  his  future  had  been  definitely  settled,  he 
had  lost  the  strained,  anxious  expression  which  had 
made  his  young  face  look  careworn  and  older  than 
his  years;  and  in  the  rebound  of  his  spirits  he  be- 
came happy  and  light-hearted — "  like  an  invigor- 
ating breeze  in  the  house,"  said  Farmer  Weston  and 
his  wife,  both  of  whom  were  becoming  strongly  at- 
tached to  him. 


104  STEP  BY  STEP 

But  during  his  third  week  of  school  he  observed  a 
change  in  the  atmosphere  about  him.  The  boys 
gathered  in  groups  eyeing  him  askance,  talking  mys- 
teriously among  themselves  the  while.  He  was  not 
asked  to  join  their  games  as  heretofore,  and  if  he 
manifested  an  inclination  to  participate  in  them, 
there  would  be  a  general  stampede  to  some  other 
portion  of  the  grounds. 

This  uncomfortable  state  of  affairs  was  suddenly 
brought  to  a  crisis  one  morning,  when,  on  entering 
the  playground,  Louis  observed  quite  a  commotion 
among  the  boys. 

The  bully  of  the  school,  Ben  Pratt  by  name,  was 
tyrannizing  over  two  or  three  small  children,  compel- 
ling them,  by  threats  and  rough  usage,  to  do  all  man- 
ner of  ridiculous  tricks  for  the  entertainment  of 
the  older  ones. 

Louis,  who  could  never  see  even  an  animal  abused 
without  tingling  to  his  finger  tips  with  indignation, 
now  felt  his  eyes  beginning  to  blaze  and  his  blood 
to  boil  as  a  sharp  slap  resounded  on  the  air  and  was 
followed  by  a  howl  of  pain  from  one  of  the  young- 
sters. The  next  moment  he  dashed  forward  and 
slipped  in  between  the  bully  and  his  helpless  victim. 

"  What  are  you  doing,  Ben  Pratt,  cuffing  a  little 
shaver  like  that  ?  "  he  cried,  with  crimson  cheeks, 
adding:  "Run  away,  Harry  Barnes;  if  Ben  wants 
to  slap  anybody  again  he  can  take  me." 

The  little  fellow  needed  no  second  bidding,  and 
nimbly  made  tracks  for  a  place  of  safety,  the  others 
following  him  with  all  possible  dispatch. 


STEP  BY   STEP  105 

"  Well,  I'll  be  blamed !  "  cried  Ben  Pratt,  gazing 
in  unfeigned  astonishment  at  the  self-constituted 
committee  of  protection  against  cruelty  to  children. 

Then  his  anger  at  being  balked  of  his  fun  blazed 
forth  fiercely. 

"  What  d'you  mean,  meddling  with  what's  none 
of  your  business  ?  "  he  yelled.  "  I'll  break  your 
head!" 

He  drew  off  and  made  a  great  show  of  putting 
himself  in  a  fighting  attitude. 

"  I  shall  always  meddle  when  I  see  a  great  fellow 
like  you  picking  on  a  boy  who  can't  make  any 
show  against  you,"  returned  Louis,  facing  his  op- 
ponent unflinchingly,  his  great,  brown  eyes  flashing 
scorn  and  a  determination  to  stand  up  to  the  finish. 

But  Ben  Pratt  was  only  a  blustering  coward. 
For  a  moment  he  gazed  back  into  those  resolute  eyes, 
reading  in  their  clear  depths  a  courage  and  strength 
of  purpose  against  which  he  knew  he  was  no  match. 
The  next,  his  spirit  of  bravado  failed  him  utterly. 
He  fell  back  a  pace  or  two  and  his  uplifted  arms 
dropped  to  his  sides.  Then  he  gave  vent  to  a 
sneering  laugh  and  mockingly  cried  out: 

"  Bah !  who  wants  to  fight  a  New  Hampshire 
almshouse  beggar  ?  "  and  turning  quickly  on  his  heel 
he  walked  away  to  a  group  of  boys,  who,  now  the 
ice  was  broken  and  the  secret  out,  set  up  a  jeering 
howl  at  the  youthful  champion's  expense. 

No  physical  blow  could  have  produced  the  tor- 
ture which  this  hate-poisoned  arrow  inflicted. 

Louis'    brilliant    color    faded    out,    leaving    him 


io6  STEP  BY   STEP 

startlingly  pale;  a  look  of  pain  leaped  into  his  eyes 
and  a  shiver  of  repulsion  swept  over  him  from  head 
to  foot 

Instantly  he  understood  why  he  had  of  late  been 
ostracized  by  his  companions:  they  had,  by  some 
means,  learned  his  history  previous  to  his  coming  to 
Farmer  Weston,  and  were  holding  him — some 
thoughtlessly,  others  maliciously — disgraced  on  ac- 
count of  it. 

For  a  moment  he  was  dazed  by  the  unexpected 
attack.  His  sorely  wounded  heart  began  to  swell 
and  throb  until  it  seemed  as  if  it  must  burst  with 
grief  and  shame,  and  in  all  probability  he  would 
have  broken  down  utterly  but  for  the  appearance  of 
his  teacher,  who  greeted  him  with  a  bright  "  Good 
morning,  Louis,"  which  partially  broke  the  spell  and 
enabled  him  to  pull  himself  together  somewhat. 

Almost  mechanically  he  doffed  his  hat  to  her,  as 
he  returned  her  salutation;  then  turned  and  walked 
beside  her  to  the  schoolroom,  where,  slipping  quietly 
into  his  seat,  he  tried  to  face  the  situation  with  what 
courage  he  might. 

But  he  was  wretched;  it  almost  seemed  as  if  he 
could  not  remain  through  the  session;  as  if  he  must 
get  away  somewhere  by  himself  to  fight  it  out  alone. 
His  temples  were  beating  like  tiny  hammers  which 
seemed  to  emit  sparks  with  every  blow ;  it  was  with 
difficulty  he  could  keep  his  teeth  from  chattering 
audibly,  and  his  chin  quivered  with  irrepressible 
nervousness.  He  hardly  knew  when  the  school  was 
called  to  order;  the  opening  song  fell  almost  un- 


STEP  BY   STEP  107 

heeded  on  his  ears  nor  did  he  even  join  in  the  Lord's 
Prayer  until  the  words,  "  Forgive  us  our  debts  as 
we  forgive  our  debtors,"  attracted  his  attention. 

This  awakened  a  new  train  of  thought.  "  Aunt 
Martha  says  that  means  '  love  your  enemies,  do  good 
to  them  that  persecute  you,'  "  he  said  to  himself 
with  a  sudden  revulsion  of  feeling  and  a  rush  of 
hot  tears  over  his  eyeballs.  "  Can  I  ever  { love  '  Ben 
Pratt  after  that?  Can  I  ever  even  be  good  to  him?  " 
he  mentally  questioned  with  conflicting  emotions. 

He  was  not  quite  sure  just  then  that  he  ever  could, 
but  the  better  train  of  thought  once  started  calmed 
him  somewhat,  and  by  the  time  the  opening  exercises 
were  over  he  was  able  to  begin  his  morning's  work 
with  some  degree  of  composure. 

For  several  days  life  was  made  very  uncomfort- 
able for  him,  however,  many  of  the  boys,  Ben  Pratt 
at  their  head,  neglecting  no  opportunity  to  taunt 
him  with  his  unfortunate  past. 

This  seemed  hard  enough  to  bear,  but  an  even 
more  trying  test  of  his  courage  and  principles 
awaited  him,  before  the  conflict  with  self  was  to  be 
won,  and  a  malicious  foe  finally  vanquished. 


io8  STEP  BY  STEP 


CHAPTER  IX 

FAKMEE  WESTON  was  the  proud  possessor  of  a 
beautiful  and  very  valuable  colt,  which  he  had 
raised,  and  which  bade  fair  to  become  famous  in  the 
near  future.  His  pedigree  was  beyond  criticism, 
combining  the  renown  and  beauty  of  Hambletonian 
and  Star;  and  to  prove  this  illustrious  ancestry,  the 
admirable  points  he  scored  were  more  than  usually 
fell  to  the  lot  of  the  most  carefully  bred  horseflesh. 
He  was  jet  black — not  a  white  hair  to  be  found  any- 
where on  his  sleek  satiny  coat.  There  was  not  a 
blemish  to  be  detected  in  his  anatomy.  His  clear- 
cut  head  was  almost  ideal;  his  alert,  sensitive  ears 
marvels  of  symmetry,  and  his  beautiful  great  eyes, 
set  wide  apart,  were  full  of  fire  and  intelligence. 

Perfect  in  shape,  clean  of  limb,  with  a  sweeping 
tail  that  was  the  pride  of  Jerry  McLeod's  heart, 
Blackbird — so  named  by  Mrs.  Richards  during  one 
of  her  visits  home — made  a  picture  to  set  any  true 
discriminating  horseman's  heart  aflame.  He  was 
kept  out  at  pasture  when  the  weather  was  deemed 
suitable,  and  from  time  to  time  subjected  to 
careful  training  by  either  Mr.  Weston  or  Jerry.  He 
had  never  yet  been  regularly  harnessed,  nor  had  any- 
one ever  ventured  to  mount  him. 

Louis  thought  he  was  the  finest  thing  he  had  ever 


STEP   BY   STEP  109 

seen,  and  he  never  allowed  a  day  to  elapse  without 
paying  a  visit  to  the  pasture  to  feast  his  eyes  upon 
his  beauty  and  try  to  make  friends  with  him. 

At  first  he  only  ventured  to  sit  on  the  bars  and 
gaze  in  wonder  and  delight,  while  his  frisky  coltship, 
as  if  conscious  of  the  admiration  he  was  eliciting, 
cavorted  and  gamboled  in  the  most  graceful  and 
sportive  manner,  until,  becoming  accustomed  to  the 
presence  of  the  boy,  he  gradually  ventured  nearer 
and  nearer  the  lad,  and  at  last  daintily  condescended 
to  accept  the  luscious  apple  which  upon  several  occa- 
sions had  been  invitingly  held  out  to  him. 

This  was  a  notable  achievement  and  went  on  for 
a  week  or  more,  the  horse  by  degrees  becoming  so 
friendly  he  would  submit  to  gentle  petting,  even 
appearing  to  enjoy  it  and  the  confidential  eulogies 
which  Louis  showered  upon  him.  He  finally  lost  all 
fear  of  the  boy,  coming  readily  at  his  call,  allowing 
himself  to  be  led  about  by  the  mane  and  manifesting 
no  little  affection  for  his  new  friend;  greeting  him 
joyfully  when  he  appeared  in  sight  and  whinnying 
wistfully  when  he  went  away,  until  one  day — he 
never  forgot  the  proud  exhilaration  of  that  moment, 
albeit  something  of  fear  was  intermingled — Louis 
achieved  a  mount! 

This,  however,  was  an  unlocked  for  occurrence — a 
new  experience  for  Blackbird.  He  stood  motionless 
for  a  moment,  his  graceful  head  uplifted,  his  nostrils 
dilated  with  mingled  astonishment  and  indignation, 
in  view  of  such  an  unwarrantable  liberty;  the  next 
he  bounded  off  like  the  wind,  kicking  up  his  heels 


no  STEP   BY   STEP 

and  executing  other  marvelous  and  rather  frightful 
gymnastics  in  his  efforts  to  rid  himself  of  his  un- 
accustomed burden. 

Then  there  was  a  struggle  to  see  who  would  come 
out  ahead.  But  Louis,  with  his  strong,  lithe  arms 
wound  close  around  the  slender  neck,  his  knees 
pressing  firmly  against  his  glossy  sides,  clung  for 
dear  life  and — conquered;  while  all  the  time  he 
talked  to  his  startled  steed  in  a  caressing,  reassuring 
voice  as  they  flew  around  and  around  the  field  to- 
gether. 

Gradually,  however,  Blackbird  began  to  tone  down 
a  little.  It  was  a  very  pleasant,  loving,  familiar 
voice  that  was  sounding  in  his  ears,  and  as  he  lis- 
tened, his  fear  began  to  abate;  his  breakneck  pace 
slackened  to  a  brisk  trot,  then  to  a  gentle  amble,  and 
finally,  guided  by  the  friend  in  whom  he  began  to 
feel  returning  confidence,  he  walked  decorously  up 
to  the  bars  and  obediently  stopped  at  the  word  of 
command. 

Louis  then  slipped  nimbly  to  the  ground,  and 
drawing  a  tempting  apple  from  his  pocket  presented 
it  to  his  conquered  charger,  who  munched  it  enjoy- 
ably  and  immediately  began  to  nose  around  for 
another. 

"  Not  to-day,  you  stunning  black  beauty !  "  said 
the  boy,  his  face  radiant  in  view  of  the  signal  victory 
he  had  won.  "  Next  time,  though,  you  shall  have 
an  extra  one." 

" '  Next  time '  had  better  be  postponed  indefi- 
nitely, young  man,"  remarked  a  quiet  but  rather  stern 


STEP   BY  STEP  in 

voice  just  behind  him,  and,  turning  with  a  start, 
Louis  found  himself  face  to  face  with  Mr.  Weston. 

The  man  had  been  an  almost  breathless  eye-wit- 
ness of  the  daring  feat  of  horsemanship  just  de- 
scribed, for  he  had  momentarily  expected  to  see  the 
youthful  rider  dashed  to  the  ground,  and  maimed 
or  killed,  or  the  colt  ruined  by  a  false  step  or  a 
rolling  stone. 

He  had  hurried  at  once  to  the  pasture;  but  as  he 
drew  near  he  realized  that  he  might  bring  about 
the  very  catastrophe  he  dreaded  if  he  appeared  too 
suddenly  on  the  scene  or  called  out  sharply  to  startle 
the  boy  who,  he  saw,  was  beginning  to  gain  the  mas- 
tery of  the  horse ;  so  stepping  out  of  sight  behind  a 
tree,  he  waited  with  what  patience  he  could  com- 
mand for  the  circus  to  come  to  a  finish. 

But  he  heaved  a  huge  sigh  of  relief  when  the  daring 
young  jockey  stood  once  more  on  terra  firma  and 
both  boy  and  horse  were  unharmed. 

Louis  colored  guiltily  as  he  met  the  grave  eyes 
of  his  friend,  for  not  until  that  moment  did  it  occur 
to  him  that  he  had  been  taking  ?n  unwarrantable 
liberty.  He  had  long  wished  that  he  might  help 
break  the  colt,  and,  absorbed  in  his  plans  for  this 
result,  he  had  never  once  thought  that  he  was  tam- 
pering with  another  person's  property  in  a  very 
unjustifiable  manner. 

"Well,  you  reckless  youngster,  I'm  glad  to  find 
you  with  a  whole  skin  and  no  bones  broken.  You 
won't  have  very  long,  if  you  continue  to  make  a 
John  Gilpin  of  yourself,"  Mr.  Weston  observed  in 


112  STEP   BY  STEP 

a  tone  of  would-be  reproof;  yet  Louis'  quick  ear 
detected  an  underlying  note  of  repressed  admiration 
for  the  daring  feat  he  had  performed,  and  it  told 
him  that  whatever  might  be  said,  for  or  against, 
what  he  had  done,  the  man  knew  that  Blackbird  had 
had  a  lesson  he  would  never  forget;  that  an  im- 
portant step  in  his  training  had  been  achieved  that 
day. 

"  I  wasn't  afraid,  sir — after  I  got  on,"  Louis  re- 
plied, his  eyes  glistening  again  as  he  recalled  the 
exhilaration  of  his  recent  experience. 

"  Well,  /  was,"  said  the  farmer  emphatically, 
"  and  now,  my  boy " — speaking  very  decidedly — 
"  this  mustn't  occur  again.  Blackbird  is  a  very 
valuable  piece  of  horseflesh,  and  such  capers  as  you 
two  have  been  cutting  up  to-day  are  dangerous  for 
you  both.  If  you  don't  get  your  own  neck  broken 
you  are  liable  to  ruin  him,  and  I  want  you  to  give 
me  your  word  that  you'll  never  mount  him  again 
without  my  permission." 

"  I  won't,  sir ;  I  promise,"  Louis  promptly  re- 
plied, then  added  apologetically :  "  I  didn't  mean 
to  do  anything  wrong — I  thought  perhaps  I  could 
help  to  '  break  '  him." 

"  Well,  maybe  you  can  help ;  the  little  scamp 
seems  to  like  you  pretty  well,"  said  Farmer  Weston, 
while  his  glance  proudly  followed  the  beautiful  crea- 
ture as  he  trotted  gracefully  about  the  pasture ;  "  but 
I  prefer  to  have  the  breaking  process  conducted 
under  my  own  eye.  I  hope  you  understand,  Louis." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  truly,  I  never  will  mount  him  again 


STEP  BY   STEP  113 

unless  you  say  I  may;  but  can  I  bring  him  his 
apple  every  day  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  that  or  to  your  being  as 
friendly  as  you  like  with  him  on  terra  firma"  the 
man  replied  as  they  turned  their  steps  toward  the 
house. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Weston  was  obliged  to 
leave  home  for  a  few  days  on  business  of  importance. 

He  returned  on  Saturday  evening,  when  alas!  he 
was  greeted  with  the  startling  intelligence  that  a 
serious  accident  had  happened  to  Blackbird  during 
his  absence,  and  he  was  badly  lamed. 

"  How  did  it  happen  ?  "  he  demanded  sternly  of 
Jerry,  who  broke  the  news  to  him. 

"  I  can't  say,  sir,  just  how  it  happened,"  said  the 
man  in  a  reserved  tone.  "  When  I  went  to  bring 
him  up  from  the  pasture  last  night,  I  found  him 
hobbling  about  on  three  legs.  Walker,  the  vet., 
thinks  he's  slipped  his  stifle." 

Mr.  Weston  suppressed  a  groan  of  despair. 

"  And  you  haven't  any  idea  how  it  was  done  ? " 
he  said. 

"  Well,  sir,  if  you  want  an  opinion,"  Jerry  re- 
turned after  a  moment  of  thought,  "  I  believe  that 
boy's  been  ridin'  him  again,  and  he  slipped  on  a 
rolling  stone." 

"  I  don't  like  to  think  the  boy  did  it,"  his  master 
replied ;  "  for  he  promised  me  he  would  not  mount 
him  again." 

"  It's  one  thing  to  make  a  promise,  sir,  and  an- 
other to  keep  it,"  the  man  remarked  somewhat 


BY   STEP 

shortly,  and  with  the  air  of  one  who  could  tell  more 
if  he  chose. 

Mr.  Weston  took  the  lantern  from  the  shelf  near 
him  and  repaired  to  the  box  stall  where  Blackbird 
was  kept,  to  see  for  himself  how  seriously  the  horse 
was  injured.  When  he  reappeared  he  looked  very 
grave  and  dejected. 

"  Well,  only  time  will  tell,"  he  observed  in 
a  spiritless  tone  as  he  fastened  the  door  after 
him. 

Turning  to  replace  the  lantern  on  the  shelf,  he 
found  Louis,  attended  by  Ponce,  standing  beside  him. 
The  boy  looked  almost  ill,  and  his  eyes  were  red  and 
swollen  from  crying. 

"  Mr.  Weston,"  he  began  tremulously,  "  I  heard 
what  you  and  Jerry  said — I  was  up  on  the  hay  with 
Ponce — but  I  didn't  lame  the  colt.  I  haven't  been 
inside  the  bars  to  the  pasture  since  you  told  me  I 
mustn't  ride  him  again ;  I've  been  to  them  and  given 
him  his  apple  and  talked  to  and  petted  him  every  day 
and  that  is  all." 

The  farmer  stood  regarding  him  in  thoughtfuj 
silence  for  a  moment,  while  the  boy  met  his  gaze 
fearlessly  and  without  the  slightest  manifestation  of 
guilt. 

"  We  won't  talk  about  it  to-night,  Louis,"  he  at 
length  observed ;  "  we'll  think  it  over  a  while  before 
we  discuss  it."  And  with  this  he  abruptly  left  the 
barn,  going  directly  into  the  house. 

"  Oh,  I'm  afraid  he  thinks  I  did  it!  "  cried  Louis 
disconsolately,  as  he  threw  himself  upon  a  box  in 


STEP   BY   STEP  115 

which  some  tools  were  kept,  and  dropped  his  head 
upon  his  hands. 

"  Well — ye  did,  didn't  ye  ?  Accordin'  to  my  way 
o'  thinkin'  it's  pretty  poor  policy  to  try  to  lie  out 
o'  a  scrape,"  gruffly  remarked  Jerry. 

Louis  sprang  to  his  feet,  stung  to  the  quick,  his 
great  eyes  blazing  with  mingled  pain  and  indigna- 
tion. "  I'm  not  lying,  Jerry  McLeod,"  he  cried 
passionately ;  "  and  you've  no  right  to  say  that.  If 
I  had  hurt  Blackbird  I  would  have  told  Mr.  Weston 
I  did  it — I  wouldn't  have  lied  about  it,  even  if  I 
knew  he  would  send  me  away  from  here  to-morrow 
for  doing  what  he'd  told  me  not  to  do." 

"  Talk  is  cheap,"  retorted  Jerry  with  a  suggestive 
shrug  of  his  broad  shoulders.  "  Suppose  I  should 
tell  ye  I  seen  ye  ridin'  him  ?  " 

"  Then  you'd  be  lying,"  cried  Louis,  almost  beside 
himself  with  grief  and  anger.  "  You  may  say  it  till 
— till  you're  black  in  the  face " — quoting  an  ex- 
pression he  had  heard  Nathan  Black  use — "  it  will 
not  make  it  so.  /  tell  you  I  didn't  and  you're  a  liar 
if  you  say  I  did." 

"  Well,  sir,"  and  Jerry's  tone  was  blandly  exas- 
perating, "  I  happened  to  be  in  the  carriage  house 
last  night  just  about  dusk.  Ye  know  the  east  win- 
dow looks  out  on  the  pasture — and  I  seen  ye  ridin' 
Blackbird  like  Jehu " 

"  I  say  you  lie !  "  passionately  interrupted  Louis, 
losing  all  control  of  himself.  "  If  you  saw  anybody 
riding  Blackbird  it  was  some  other  boy." 

"  Well,  maybe  ye  can  stick  it  out ;  but  what  I 


ii6  STEP  BY   STEP 

saw  I  saw,"  obstinately  affirmed  the  man.  "  I 
didn't  tell  Mr.  Western  on  ye,  for  I  thought  I'd  let 
ye  do  yer  own  confessin'.  I  started  out  to  get  the 
colt  and  put  a  stop  to  yer  fun,  but  Mis'  Weston 
called  me  just  then,  and  I  had  to  do  something  for 
her;  so  when  I  did  go  for  the  colt  I  didn't  see  any 
boy,  but  I  found  Blackbird  hobblin'  around  on  three 
legs.  Ye  weren't  anywhere  around 

"  No ;  Ponce  and  I  went  chestnutting  after  school 
and  didn't  get  home  till  supper  time,"  Louis  inter- 
posed. 

"  Ye're  a  tough  one,"  said  Jerry  with  a  short 
laugh ;  "  but  'twill  be  better  for  ye  in  the  end  if  ye'd 
make  a  clean  breast  of  it." 

"  I  tell  you  I  haven't  anything  to  make  a  clean 
breast  about ! — Oh !  Ponce,"  laying  his  hand  on  the 
dog's  head,  "  if  you  could  only  speak,  you  could  tell." 

The  boy's  voice  broke  sharply.  He  could  bear  no 
more  and,  rushing  from  the  barn,  fled  to  his  own 
room,  where  he  threw  himself  prone  upon  the  bed, 
sobbing  as  if  his  heart  would  burst. 

It  was  terrible  to  think  of  Blackbird  being 
maimed,  perhaps  for  life;  but  to  be  accused  of  hav- 
ing done  the  deed  himself  by  a  deliberate  act  of 
disobedience,  and  made  out  a  liar  into  the  bargain, 
plunged  him  into  the  depths  of  despair. 

It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  Louis  went  down  to 
breakfast  the  next  day.  Mr.  Weston  bade  him  a 
grave  "  Good  morning,"  but  Mrs.  Weston  smiled 
cordially  and  greeted  him  in  her  usually  cheery 
manner. 


STEP   BY   STEP  117 

No  reference  was  made  to  Blackbird;  yet  this 
studied  avoidance  of  the  one  subject  so  fraught  with 
deep  interest  to  them  all  engendered  a  feeling  of 
awkwardness  and  constraint;  and  as  soon  as  the 
meal  was  over  the  farmer  went  directly  to  the  barn, 
Mrs.  Weston  busied  herself  with  her  household  cares 
and  Louis  attended  to  his  usual  duties. 

When  the  boy  was  through  with  his  work  he  went 
into  the  sitting-room  and,  taking  up  a  book,  made  a 
pretense  of  reading,  for  he  did  not  know  what  to  do 
with  himself.  Here  Mrs.  Weston  found  him  later 
with  volume  upside  down  and  a  look  of  misery  on 
his  young  face  that  went  to  her  heart. 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  be  very  happy  this  morning, 
Louis,"  she  remarked  in  a  kindly  tone. 

"  How  can  I  be  ?  "  he  returned  with  a  pathetic 
quiver  of  his  chin.  But  he  shut  his  teeth  together 
with  a  resolute  snap,  for,  boy-like,  he  felt  it  beneath 
his  dignity  to  cry  in  the  presence  of  anyone  else, 
whatever  he  might  do  in  the  privacy  of  his  own 
chamber. 

"  You  are  grieving  because  of  the  accident  to 
Blackbird,"  said  Mrs.  Weston,  a  note  of  sympathy 
in  her  tones. 

"  Yes,  and  because  they  think  I  did  it." 

"  Does  it  really  harm  you  if  some  one  else  believes 
what  is  false  about  you  ?  A  million  people  might  be- 
lieve it,  yet,  in  reality,  you  would  still  be  perfectly 
honest  and  true,"  returned  the  woman  comfortably. 

"  But  you  don't  like  to  have  others  think  or  tell 
lies  about  you,"  said  Louis,  flushing  hotly. 


n8  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  No ;  that  hurts  our  pride  and  we  begin  to  pity 
ourselves  because  of  it — which  is  only  one  kind  of 
selfishness,  you  know — when  we  should  brace  up, 
keep  fast  hold  of  our  self-respect,  do  the  best  we  can 
and  then,  as  Mrs.  Richards  told  you,  let  God  take 
care  of  the  result." 

At  this  Louis  drew  in  a  long,  deep  breath,  which 
acted  something  like  an  escape-valve,  for  the  terrible 
pressure  on  his  heart  was  somewhat  relieved  for  the 
moment. 

"  Don't  you  believe  I  did  it  ? "  he  questioned 
eagerly. 

Mrs.  Weston  smoothed  back  the  dark  hair  from  his 
moist  forehead  while  she  searched  for  a  moment  the 
wistful  eyes  fastened  upon  hers. 

"  No,  Louis,  I  do  not  think  you  are  to  blame 
for  the  injury  to  Blackbird,"  she  quietly  returned. 

A  flush  of  joy  swept  over  his  face  at  this  assur- 
ance; then  he  grew  pale  again. 

"  But  Jerry  says  he  saw  me  riding  the  colt,"  he 
said. 

"  Jerry  told  you  that  ?  "  queried  his  friend  in 
surprise. 

"  Yes'm."  And  Louis  repeated  the  conversation 
that  had  passed  between  them  in  the  barn  the  night 
before. 

Mrs.  Weston  listened  attentively,  watching  him 
closely  as  he  talked,  and  was  convinced  in  spite  of 
all  that  he  was  innocent  of  the  wrong  laid  to  his 
charge. 

"  Well,  dear,  it  does  seem  quite  a  tangle,"  she 


STEP   BY   STEP 


119 


observed  when  he  concluded ;  "  but  we  will  try  to  be 
patient  and  believe  it  will  all  come  out  right,"  and 
Louis  was  inexpressibly  comforted  by  this  little  con- 
fidential talk  and  her  acknowledged  faith  in  him. 

Later  they  went  to  church  together — Mr.  Weston 
feeling  justified  in  remaining  at  home  that  morning 
— and  the  boy  seemed  even  more  cheerful  on  his 
return. 

After  dinner  he  went  out  for  a  walk  and  almost 
unconsciously  wandered  down  to  the  pasture;  but 
alas !  there  was  no  Blackbird  there  to  come  whinny- 
ing joyfully  at  his  call,  and  he  was  depressed  and 
wretched  again. 

He  leaned  dejectedly  against  the  bars  and  won- 
dered disconsolately  why  things  had  to  go  at  such 
cross  purposes  in  the  world.  Why  couldn't  life  run 
smoothly  and  everybody  be  happy? — a  problem  that 
has  puzzled  wiser  head  than  his  for  ages. 

"  I'm  going  to  write  Aunt  Martha  all  about  it  and 
ask  her  to  pray  for  Blackbird,"  he  said,  after  a 
thoughtful  silence.  "  I  don't  see  why  we  shouldn't 
pray  for  a  horse  just  the  same  as  for  a  person  when 
he  is  sick — such  a  beautiful,  valuable  horse,  too; 
it  seems  as  if  I  never  can  bear  not  to  have  him  get 
well." 

He  sighed  heavily  and  then  went  on : 

"  I  wish  I  didn't  have  to  worry  so — I  wish  I  could 
let  Him  take  care  of  it.  I  am  going  to  try  " — reso- 
lutely. "  If  He  is  omnipotent,  then  I  haven't  got  any- 
thing to  do  with  it." 

The  cloud  lifted  somewhat  from  his  brow  with 


120  STEP   BY   STEP 

this  philosophical  reasoning;  then  presently  there 
came  another  troublesome  thought  in  connection 
with  Jerry. 

He  knew  that  the  man  had  never  liked  him  very 
well,  for  some  reason,  although  he  had  tried  hard 
to  please  him.  Jerry  had  been  short  and  surly  with 
him  from  the  first,  but  had  never  manifested  quite 
so  much  ill-will  as  last  evening.  Louis'  feeling 
against  him  had  been  very  bitter  since  their  talk, 
but  now  he  began  to  be  conscience-smui^n  because 
he  had  said  such  sharp  things  to  him  in  return.  He 
had  forgotten,  in  his  excitement,  that  it  is  the  soft 
answer  that  turneth  away  wrath. 

"  I've  got  to  make  that  right,"  he  said,  after 
thinking  it  over.  "  It  makes  no  difference  what  he 
thinks  or  says,  I'd  no  business  to  talk  that  way  to 
him.  I  guess  I'll  go  and  have  it  out  with  him  now." 

He  was  on  the  point  of  putting  his  resolution  in 
force  when  something  on  the  top  rail  of  the  bars 
attracted  his  attention. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  he  said  bending  for  a  closer  look. 

"  That "  was  a  small  piece  of  woolen  cloth  that 
had  caught  under  a  splinter  and  had  evidently  been 
torn  from  some  garment  worn  by  a  person  who  had 
been  on  the  fence.  Louis  carefully  detached  it, 
smoothed  it  out  and  critically  examined  it,  his  eyes 
growing  big,  his  heart  beating  rapidly  from  the 
thoughts  that  went  flashing  with  lightning  speed 
through  his  brain. 

"  I'm  just  going  to  keep  this,"  he  asserted  under 
his  breath ;  "  and  some  day  perhaps  I  shall  find  the 


STEP  BY  STEP  121 

fellow  who  wears  a  suit  like  it.     I'll  bet  it  belongs 
to  the  boy  who  rode  Blackbird." 

He  plunged  his  hand  into  a  pocket  and  brought 
forth  his  pocketbook — Mr.  Richards'  gift  to  him 
on  going  away — and  having  with  great  care  placed 
the  fragment  in  the  middle  compartment,  which 
had  a  clasp,  he  turned  his  steps  homeward,  feeling 
not  quite  so  hopeless  as  when  he  had  started  forth 
upon  his  walk. 


122  STEP  BY   STEP 


CHAPTER    X 

Louis  went  straight  to  the  barn  as  soon  as  he 
reached  home.  Jerry  was  in  the  harness-room,  care- 
fully putting  away  the  best  harness,  which  was  only 
used  for  church-going  and  other  special  occasions, 
giving  it  a  rub  here  and  there  to  remove  all  dust 
and  possible  finger-marks  from  leather  and  mount- 
ings. 

He  gave  the  boy  a  curious  look  as  he  entered,  then 
again  became  absorbed  in  his  work  while  he  vigor- 
ously whistled  the  refrain  to  an  old  Scotch  hymn 
by  way  of  accompaniment. 

"  Can't  I  help,  Jerry  ?  "  Louis  inquired,  to  break 
the  ice  and  get  down  to  business. 

"  I've  done  it  alone  f 'r  fifteen  years ;  guess  I  c'n 
keep  on  a  while  longer,"  was  the  ungracious  re- 
sponse, while  the  whistling  was  resumed  with  in- 
cisive shrillness. 

Louis  felt  exceedingly  uncomfortable;  stuck  his 
hands  in  his  pockets ;  stood  first  on  one  foot  then  the 
other  and  grew  hot  and  cold  by  turns.  He  had  set 
himself  a  disagreeable  task  and  did  not  quite  know 
how  to  begin. 

"  I  say,  Jerry,"  he  finally  blurted  out  with  a  very 
red  face,  "  I  said  some  mean  things  to  you  last  night, 
and  I  don't  feel  very  good  after  thinking  them  over." 


STEP   BY   STEP  123 

He  paused  to  give  his  companion  an  opportunity 
to  make  some  reply,  but  the  man,  although  he  ceased 
whistling,  preserved  an  obstinate  silence  and  a  face 
as  expressionless  as  a  mask. 

"  I'd  no  business  to  call  you  a  liar,"  Louis  re- 
sumed ;  "  but  I  was  awful  mad  and  didn't  care  what 
I  said.  I'm  not  mad  now,  though;  I'm  only  sorry, 
and  I — I'd  like  to  make  up." 

"  *  Make  up ! '  '  repeated  the  man,  giving  him  a 
withering  look.  "  D'ye  think  I'm  goin'  to  take  sides 
with  ye  on  this  colt  business  and  keep  still  about 
what  I  saw  ye  up  to  ? " 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  expect  you  will  tell  Mr.  Weston  what 
you  told  me  last  night,"  Louis  replied,  but  shrinking 
under  the  man's  scorn.  "  That  is  not  what  I  mean 
at  all — I'm  just  sorry  that  I  was  rude  to  you  and  I 
want  to  be  friends." 

"  Humph !  "  slightingly  grunted  the  Scotchman. 

"  You  haven't  seemed  to  like  me  very  well  since  I 
came  here,  Jerry,  though  I  don't  know  why,"  the 
boy  went  on.  "  Perhaps  I  don't  do  things  as  you 
like  to  have  them  done,  but  if  you'll  tell  me  how  I 
can  do  better,  I'll  try." 

Jerry  now  began  to  feel  decidedly  uncomfortable, 
but  to  conceal  the  fact  he  polished  on  with  redoubled 
vigor.  Possessing  his  full  share  of  the  proverbial 
Scotch  obstinacy,  it  would  have  been  a  severe  wrench 
to  his  pride  to  have  "  made  friends  "  on  such  short 
notice,  even  if  he  had  not  been  so  sore  over  Black- 
bird's mishap  and  firmly  believed  that  Louis  had  been 
the  cause  of  it.  Yet  he  was  not  a  bad  man  at  heart, 


124  STEP  BY   STEP 

and  underneath  his  apparently  adamantine  exterior 
he  was  really  touched  by  the  boy's  pathetic  appeal,  al- 
though under  existing  circumstances  his  rigid  ideas 
of  justice  forbade  his  manifesting  it  in  the  slightest 
degree. 

"  Guess  we'll  wait  till  ye're  ready  to  do  the  square 
thing  by  Mr.  Weston,"  he  doggedly  responded,  as  he 
turned  to  hang  up  the  resplendent  collar  upon  which 
he  had  expended  such  unusual  attention ;  whereupon 
Louis,  feeling  decidedly  de  trop  and  that  his  efforts 
as  peacemaker  had  been  anything  but  "  blessed," 
slipped  dejectedly  out  of  the  room  and  went  back 
to  the  house. 

As  he  entered  the  sitting-room  Mr.  Weston  laid 
down  the  book  he  had  been  reading  and  gravely,  yet 
not  unkindly,  observed: 

"  Louis,  I  would  like  you  to  tell  me  just  what  you 
know  about  Blackbird's  accident." 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  how  he  was  hurt," 
the  boy  returned.  "  I  wasn't  here  when  Jerry 
brought  him  up,  for  Ponce  and  I  went  chestnutting 
after  school,  Friday,  and  didn't  get  home  till  most 
supper  time.  Hannah  told  me  about  the  colt  when 
I  came  in." 

"  And  did  you  not  go  to  the  pasture  at  all, 
Friday  ?  "  inquired  the  farmer. 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir ;  I  was  there  after  dinner — I  took 
him  his  apple  when  I  went  back  to  school.  He  was 
all  right  then." 

"  And  you  haven't  been  on  his  back " 

"  No,  sir,  not  since  you  told  me  I  must  not  mount 


STEP  BY   STEP  125 

him,"  Louis  interrupted,  his  voice  tremulous  with 
his  eagerness  to  establish  his  honesty. 

]\lr.  Westoii  sat  silent  for  a  few  moments.  Then 
he  said  very  seriously: 

"  If  that  horse  doesn't  get  well  he  will  be  a  great 
loss  to  me ;  but  I  think  that  would  not  hurt  me  nearly 
so  much  as  to  lose  faith  in  somebody  I  thought  a 
good  deal  of " 

"  I  know  you  mean  me,  sir,"  Louis  again  inter- 
posed, and  wondering  how  much  longer  he  could  en- 
dure this  trying  ordeal ;  "  and  I  know  Jerry  thinks 
I'm  to  blame.  He  says  he  saw  me  riding  Blackbird, 
though  he  wouldn't  tell  you  because  he  thought  I 
ought  to  confess  it.  But  it  wasn't  me  he  saw;  I 
can't  prove  it,  for  Ponce  is  the  only  one  in  the  world 
besides  me  who  knows  it,  and  he  can't  talk,"  he  con- 
cluded despairingly. 

Mr.  Weston  was  impressed,  yet  did  not  feel  quite 
convinced  that  the  boy  was  speaking  the  exact  truth. 

"  Well,"  he  remarked,  after  another  thoughtful 
pause,  "  I  think  we  will  leave  the  matter  just  here, 
Louis,  and  trust  that  time  will  clear  up  what  now 
seems  to  be  a  very  mysterious  affair.  And  you  are 
not  to  feel  yourself  under  a  ban,  either,  for  anything 
that  your  own  conscience  does  not  accuse  you  of; 
we  will  simply  drop  it  and  go  as  before." 

This  conclusion  comforted  Louis  somewhat,  al- 
though it  was  not  what  he  craved  by  any  means; 
nevertheless  he  was  grateful  to  Mr.  Weston  for  the 
justice  he  had  manifested,  and  resolved  that  he 
would  patiently  await  further  developments. 


126  STEP  BY   STEP 

Before  he  slept,  however,  he  poured  out  his  whole 
heart  in  a  letter  to  Aunt  Martha,  and  knew  that,  ere 
many  days  elapsed,  he  would  receive  a  reply  which 
would  both  cheer  and  strengthen  hiin.  The  next 
morning  he  started  for  school,  feeling  more  like  him- 
self, for  everybody — Jerry  excepted — treated  him 
the  same  as  usual,  thus  proving  that  he  was  to  be  re- 
garded innocent  of  wrong  until  proven  guilty.  And 
he  was  also  destined  to  be  established  on  a  better 
footing  with  his  class  that  day,  although  the  expe- 
rience was  to  be  attended  by  some  bitterness  and 
humiliation. 

As  he  entered  the  playground  a  few  moments  be- 
fore the  bell  rang,  one  of  the  boys — a  crony  of  Ben 
Pratt — yelled  out  at  the  top  of  his  lungs:  "Here's 
that  New  Hampshire  beggar  again." 

But  the  words  were  scarcely  uttered  when  the 
offender  found  himself  firmly  clutched  by  the  shoul- 
der, while  the  stern  voice  of  his  teacher  ominously 
demanded : 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Henry  Jones,  by  speaking 
of  Louis  like  that  ?  " 

"  All  the  boys  do,"  muttered  the  crestfallen  culprit 
with  a  frightened  gasp. 

"All?" 

"  Well,  a  lot  of  'em  do." 

"  But  why  ? — why  are  you  so  cruel  to  a  class- 
mate ? " 

"  'Cause — he  wa?  a  pauper  and  came  from  a  poor- 
house  ;  "  and  the  shamefaced  offender  guiltily  hung 
his  head. 


STEP  BY  STEP  127 

"  Shame  upon  you ! — never  let  me  hear  it  from 
your  lips  again,"  said  Miss  Morton  severely,  and 
looking  both  indignant  and  resolute. 

When  the  opening  exercises  were  over,  she  sent 
Louis  with  a  note  to  another  teacher  telling  him  to 
wait  for  an  answer.  As  soon  as  the  door  closed  after 
him  Miss  Morton  arose  and  sternly  faced  her  class. 

"  I  have  something  to  say  to  the  boys  in  this 
grade,"  she  gravely  began.  "  I  have  learned  that 
some  of  you  are  doing  Louis  Arnold  a  great  wrong, 
and  I  warn  you  if  I  know  of  the  insult  being  re- 
peated I  will  send  the  offender  directly  to  Mr.  Rol- 
lins to  be  dealt  with.  And  let  me  tell  you,  Louis' 
father  was  a  gentleman — the  principal  of  a  high 
school,  and  his  mother  was  a  lovely,  cultured  woman. 
Furthermore,  I  wish  you  to  know  that  Mr.  William 
Richards  of  Chicago — I  don't  need  to  tell  you  who 
he  is — is  Louis'  guardian;  and,  under  his  care,  it 
is  safe  to  say  that  he  is  likely  to  fare  as  well  in  the 
future  as  any  one  of  you.  Apart  from  all  this, 
I  am  deeply  pained  to  know  that  any  members  of 
my  class  could  be  so  unkind  as  to  taunt  another  with 
what  he  was  in  no  way  responsible  for  and  what 
might  have  been  your  lot  under  similar  circum- 
stances. Now  you  may  take  your  books." 

During  recess  there  was  quite  a  flutter  of  excite- 
ment among  the  pupils  of  the  eighth  grade,  in  view 
of  what  they  had  learned,  and  one  curious  youth 
waylaid  Louis  and  confidentially  inquired: 

"  I  say,  Louis,  is  it  true  that  Mr.  Richards  is  your 
guardian  ?  " 


128  STEP  BY   STEP 

"Yes,  why?" 

"  Miss  Morton  said  so  this  morning,  after  you 
went  upstairs.  She  gave  us  '  Hail  Columbia '  be- 
cause we'd  been  calling  you  names.  What  is  a 
guardian  anyway  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  guess  it  means  that  he  is  to  look  after 
me  until  I  am  twenty-one,  the  same  as  your  father 
takes  care  of  you,"  Louis  replied. 

"  Oh,  then  you  kind  of  belong  to  him ;  and  he's 
awful  rich  too,  isn't  he  ? "  said  the  youth,  as  if 
deeply  impressed. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  Well,  he  is ;  I  heard  my  father  say  he's  got  piles 
of  money." 

Louis  did  not  appear  to  be  at  all  elated  in  view 
of  this  information;  at  least  he  made  no  response 
to  it 

"  Where's  Ben  Pratt  ? "  he  inquired  irrelevantly, 
for  Ben  had  not  put  in  an  appearance  that  day. 

"  He's  sick — had  a  fall  the  other  day  and  cut  his 
head." 

"Bad?"    . 

"  Well,  Jim  Brown  said  the  doctor  had  to  sew  it 
up." 

On  his  way  home  from  school  that  afternoon 
Louis  slipped  round  to  the  Pratt  home  to  inquire 
for  Ben. 

Mrs.  Pratt,  a  tired-looking  woman,  came  to  the 
door  with  a  baby  in  her  arms. 

"  I'm  Louis  Arnold,  and  I've  come  to  ask  how 
Ben  is,"  he  said,  as  he  politely  took  off  his  hat 
to  her. 


STEP  BY   STEP  129 

"  He  is  better  than  he  was  yesterday ;  but  still  in 
bed.  Would  you  like  to  come  in  and  see  him  ?  " 
Mrs.  Pratt  returned.  Louis  hesitated;  he  was  not 
quite  sure  that  he  would  be  a  welcome  visitor.  He 
wished  to  show  that  he  held  no  grudge  against  the 
sick  boy  and  had  taken  this  way  to  do  it. 

"  I'll  come  in  to-morrow  afternoon  if  he  would 
like  to  have  me,"  he  said  after  thinking  a  moment, 
adding  heartily :  "  I'm  glad  he  is  better." 

"  Thank  you  for  coming  to  ask  after  him,"  said 
Mrs.  Pratt  appreciatively. 

The  next  day,  about  the  same  hour,  he  again  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  door,  bearing  a  well-filled  paper 
bag  in  one  hand,  and  was  cordially  greeted  by  Mrs. 
Pratt. 

"  You  are  the  only  boy  who  has  called  to  see 
Benny,"  she  said,  "  and  he  told  me  to  let  you  go 
right  up.  You  will  find  him  in  the  first  room  on 
the  left." 

With  rising  color  Louis  mounted  to  the  second 
floor,  found  the  room  designated,  and  Ben,  bolstered 
up  in  bed,  looking  rather  pale  and  with  a  towel 
bound  about  his  head. 

"  Hello !  "  said  the  invalid  by  way  of  greeting, 
but  with  some  embarrassment,  as  he  met  Louis'  smil- 
ing glance. 

"  Hello,  Ben !  I've  brought  you  some  chestnuts," 
responded  Louis,  going  to  the  boy's  side  and  de- 
positing his  generous  offering — half  of  what  he  had 
gathered  the  previous  Friday — before  him. 

"  Chestnuts !    that's   bully !  "    was   the   eager   re- 


130  STEP   BY   STEP 

joinder.  "  I've  hardly  seen  one  this  year — was  goiu' 
myself  last  Saturday,  but  couldn't.  These  are 
busters ! "  he  added,  drawing  forth  a  handful. 
"  Where'd  you  get  'em?" 

u  On  the  hill  back  of  the  farm.  I  got  about  two 
quarts,  last  Friday,  after  school." 

"  Friday ;  that  was  the  day  I  cracked  my  head 
open,"  and  Ben  made  a  grimace  as  his  wound  gave 
him  a  twinge. 

"  Shall  you  go  back  to  school  this  week  ?  "  Louis 
asked. 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  shall  if  I  can,  'cause  it's  blamed 
lonesome  here,  shut  up  in  the  house ;  but  I  get  dizzy 
when  I  try  to  walk." 

They  chatted  a  while  of  various  matters  interesting 
to  both,  until  Louis  arose  and  said  it  was  time  for 
him  to  be  getting  home. 

"  I  hope  you'll  be  all  right  in  a  day  or  two,"  he 
said  at  parting. 

"  If  I  don't  show  up  by  Thursday,  will  you  come 
again  ?  "  Ben  pleaded  with  a  conscious  flush. 

"  If — you  want  me  to,"  said  Louis,  with  a  note  of 
doubt  in  his  tone. 

"  All  right;  I  do,  and  you're  good  to  bring  me  half 
of  your  chestnuts — there  must  be  a  quart  here,"  said 
the  boy. 

Ben  did  not  "  show  up  "  at  school  on  Thursday 
and,  true  to  his  promise,  Louis  went  to  see  him 
again.  This  time  he  took  a  game  that  had  been  given 
him  the  previous  Christmas  and  they  spent  quite 
a  social  hour  playing  together,  though  he  thought 


STEP   BY   STEP  131 

the  boy  did  not  seem  as  well  as  during  his  former 
visit. 

While  they  were  thus  engaged  Mrs.  Pratt  came 
into  the  room,  looking  quite  disturbed. 

"  Benny,  how  did  you  tear  your  new  jacket  like 
this  ?  "  she  inquired,  holding  up  a  sleeve  from  which 
a  piece  had  been  torn  completely  out. 

"  Oh,  I  caught  it  getting  over  a  fence,"  the  boy  in- 
differently replied  and  without  turning  from  his 
game. 

"  But  where  is  the  piece  ?  "  demanded  his  mother. 

"  I  didn't  think  anything  about  the  piece,"  was  the 
impatient  retort.  "  Go  on  Louis — it's  your  turn." 

''It  is  too  bad,  Benny;  this  new  jacket!  and  I 
have  nothing  that  will  match  it,"  sighed  Mrs.  Pratt 
wearily.  "  If  I  had  the  piece  I  could  darn  it  in  so 
it  would  never  show;  now  it  will  have  to  be  patched 
with  something  else.  You  are  very  careless,  Benny, 
with  your  clothes  and  I  try  so  hard  to  keep  you  look- 
ing nice,"  and  with  this  reproof  the  much-tried 
mother  left  the  room. 

The  moment  Louis  saw  the  hole  in  the  jacket,  his 
heart  gave  a  tremendous  bound,  while  he  involuntar- 
ily thrust  one  hand  into  his  pocket  and  grasped  his 
pocketbook.  The  fragment  of  cloth  which  lay  in  its 
inner  compartment  was  exactly  like  that  of  the  gar- 
ment! 

His  first  impulse  had  been  to  produce  it  so  that 
Mrs.  Pratt  could  mend  the  hole  nicely.  Then  came 
the  thought :  "  How  could  he  explain  where  he  had 
found  it  without  involving  Ben  in  trouble  ?  "  For 


132  STEP  BY   STEP 

he  was  very  sure  now  that  Ben.  was  the  boy  who 
had  ridden  and  lamed  the  colt  and  that  his  injured 
head  was  the  price  he  had  paid  for  that  ride. 

What  should  he  do  about  it  ?  He  had  come  to  see 
Ben  because  he  was  shut  in,  and  he  wanted  to  "  do 
good  "  to  his  "  persecutor  " ;  and  now  he  had  discov- 
ered something  which  might  make  an  even  more 
bitter  foe  of  him  if  he  revealed  it.  His  heart  was 
very  heavy,  and  his  temples  throbbed  painfully ;  but, 
in  justice  to  himself,  he  felt  that  he  must  have  it  out 
with  him  before  he  left. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  about  ? "  Ben  suddenly 
demanded,  as  Louis  seemed  to  have  forgotten  the 
game. 

"  About  your  jacket,"  he  replied,  flushing  crim- 
son. 

"  Darn  the  jacket !  "  said  Ben  irritably.  "  What 
a  fuss  over  a  little  hole — though  I  do  hate  patches," 
he  concluded,  scowling. 

Louis  felt  this  was  his  opportunity.  He  drew 
forth  his  pocketbook  and  taking  the  bit  of  cloth  from 
its  inner  compartment  laid  it  on  the  coverlid  before 
his  companion. 

"  There's  the  piece,  and  she  can  darn  it  in,"  he 
briefly  observed. 

Ben  regarded  the  frayed  scrap  in  wide-eyed 
astonishment 

"  Where'd  you  get  that?"  he  asked. 

"  'Twas  caught  on  the  upper  rail  of  the  bars  to 
the  pasture  where  we  keep  the  colt,"  Louis  explained. 

Then  as  Ben  looked  conscious  he  bluntly  queried: 


STEP  BY   STEP  133 

"  Did  you  ride  Blackbird  last  Friday  ?  Jerry  saw 
some  one  on  his  back  and  declares  it  was  I.  But  it 
wasn't,  for  I'd  gone  chestnutting.  Did  you  get  a 
spill  ?  Was  that  how  you  hurt  your  head  ?  "  Louis 
demanded  excitedly. 

Ben  laughed  uneasily;  then  meeting  Louis'  eager 
eyes  he  burst  out  defiantly : 

"  What  if  I  did  ?  Nobody's  hurt  but  me.  I  saw 
you  ridin'  him  one  day  and  thought  I'd  risk  a  turn 
myself.  I  tore  my  jacket  getting  over  the  bars. 
That's  a  dandy  colt,  though.  I  had  a  jolly  ride  till 
he  stumbled  and  threw  me  off  and  I  cut  my  head  on 
a  stone.  I  thought  I  was  killed  at  first,  but  I  crawled 
over  the  wall  and  lay  down  till  I  stopped  seem'  stars, 
then  came  home.  You  needn't  look  so  glum  about  it, 
though,"  he  concluded  as  he  observed  his  visitor's 
troubled  face. 

"  The  colt  was  hurt,  as  well  as  you,"  said  Louis 
gravely.  "  He  was  lamed  and  we're  afraid  he  ia 
ruined." 

"  Gosh !  "  ejaculated  the  sick  boy  in  a  frightened 
voice.  Then  he  added  with  a  quick,  indrawn 
breath  and  a  white  face :  "  Say,  Louis,  you  won't 
blab?" 

"  But  Mr.  Weston  and  Jerry  think  /  did  it,"  said 
Louis,  looking  the  boy  straight  in  the  eyes, 

Ben  fell  limply  back  among  his  pillows. 

"  I  vow !  that's  downright  mean !  to  go  back  on  a 
sick  fellow  after  getting  it  out  of  him  this  way !  " 

"  I  didn't l  get  it  out '  of  you,  Ben ;  you  told  me  of 
your  own  accord,  and  you  ought  to  tell  Mr.  Weston 


134  STEP  BY   STEP 

yourself,  and  not  let  him  blame  me  for  it,"  returned 
our  hero  with  commendable  spirit. 

"  Then  my  f  ather'll  have  to  pay  for  the  colt  and 
he — he  can't  afford  to,"  whimpered  Ben  timorously. 

Louis'  face  fell.  He  knew  that  the  Pratts  were  by 
no  means  in  affluent  circumstances — that,  indeed, 
they  had  to  struggle  for  a  living,  and  he  recalled  how 
worried  Mrs.  Pratt  looked. 

"  Perhaps  Blackbird  will  get  over  it,  then  he 
wouldn't  have  to  be  paid  for,"  he  tried  to  say  en- 
couragingly. 

Ben  caught  eagerly  at  this  straw  of  hope. 

"  Well,  wait  till  I  get  better — promise  you  won't 
say  a  word  till  I'm  well,"  he  pleaded  so  plaintively 
and  looked  so  white  and  wretched  that  Louis'  heart 
was  touched. 

"  All  right,  I'll  wait,"  he  said  stoically  as  he  got 
up  to  go,  feeling  that  he  must  get  away  by  himself 
to  battle  with  the  sense  of  injustice  and  resentment 
that  would  assert  itself,  in  spite  of  his  desire  to  be 
good  to  a  boy  who  was  sick. 

A  little  later  Mrs.  Pratt  on  going  to  her  son's 
room  found  him  crying  bitterly,  a  circumstance  that 
surprised  her  greatly,  for  he  had  always  been  a 
turbulent  boy  with,  apparently,  no  softer  side  to  his 
nature;  and  he  had  seldom  shed  tears  to  her  knowl- 
edge. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  dear  ? "  she  questioned 
anxiously. 

"  My  head  hurts,"  said  the  boy,  as  he  hid  his  face 
in  the  pillow. 


STEP   BY   STEP  135 

The  next  day  when  Louis  went  to  school  he  heard 
that  Ben  was  very  ill  with  brain  fever. 

Then  there  followed  several  weeks  of  suspense  in 
connection  with  both  the  colt  and  Ben,  for  if  the 
latter  did  not  recover  Louis  felt  that  he  could  never 
'prove  his  innocence  of  the  injury  to  Blackbird. 

Meantime,  however,  he  received  a  most  comforting 
letter  from  Aunt>  Martha,  who  charged  him  not  to 
worry,  for  she  believed  that  the  truth  would  some 
time  be  revealed. 

"  But  if  it  never  is,"  she  wrote,  "  you  can,  in  time, 
lire  down  the  suspicions  against  you  by  invariable 
honesty  and  obedience  in  the  future.  But  I  know  now 
that  my  boy  is  true  blue." 

A  little  later  Blackbird  began  to  show  signs  of 
improvement,  and  by  the  end  of  the  fourth  week  he 
was  so  much  better,  Mr.  Weston  announced,  to  Louis' 
exceeding  joy,  he  had  great  hopes  that,  eventually, 
he  would  be  as  sound  as  ever. 

"  If  he  gets  well,  I  guess  I  can  bear  all  the  rest, 
so  I'm  not  going  to  fret  over  it  any  more,"  Louis 
said  to  himself,  out  of  the  fullness  of  his  thankful 
heart. 

About  a  week  after  this  Ben  Pratt  sent  for  him 
again.  Louis  had  heard  that  he  was  getting  slowly 
better,  but  did  not  suppose  he  was  wrell  enough  to 
see  visitors.  He  was  quite  shocked,  however,  when 
he  was  ushered  into  his  presence.  Could  that  be 
Ben  Pratt — that  wasted  figure  lying  upon  the  bed, 
his  face  almost  as  white  as  the  pillow  on  which  he 
rested ;  his  cheeks  sunken,  his  hands  like  claws  ?  But 


136  STEP  BY   STEP 

hie  eyes  were  bright  and  clear,  and  he  nodded  a 
smiling  welcome  to  his  guest  as  he  entered. 

"  You're  better,  Ben,  and  I'm  glad,"  Louis  cor- 
dially observed  as  he  moved  quietly  across  the  room 
and  sat  down  beside  him. 

"  Yes,  I'm  lots  better  and  so  hungry  all  the  time. 
I  can't  get  enough  to  eat  But  I've  had  a  tough  time, 
Louis — see !  "  and  he  held  up  a  trembling  hand  that 
looked  almost  transparent  in  the  light  "  How's  the 
colt?  "  he  eagerly  inquired  with  the  next  breath. 

"  Oh,  he  is  getting  along  all  right" 

"  Is  he  going  to  get  well  ?  "  cried  Ben  with  trem- 
bling lips. 

"  We  hope  so — we  are  almost  sure  he  is,"  returned 
Louis  with  comforting  assurance. 

"  By — no,  I  won't  say  it,"  the  boy  interposed,  as 
he  caught  the  look  of  disapproval  in  his  visitor's  eyes. 
"  I  said  if  I  got  well  I'd  try  to  stop  swearin' ;  but, 
truly,  I'm  almost  too  glad  about  the  colt  to  bear  it," 
and  his  voice  broke  from  mingled  joy  and  weakness. 
((  Have — you  told  ?  "  he  questioned,  as  soon  as  he 
recovered  himself  a  little. 

Louis  shook  his  head,  but  colored  violently  as  he 
did  BO. 

"  Truly  ?  "  persisted  Ben,  searching  his  face  anx- 
iously. 

"  Course  I  haven't — I  promised,  you  know." 

Ben  regarded  him  wonderingly  for  a  moment.  He 
very  well  knew  that  he  could  never  have  kept  such 
a  secret  and  borne  the  blame  and  suspicion  which 
had  fallen  upon  Louis.  Suddenly  his  eyes  wavered 


STEP   BY   STEP  137 

and  fell.  He  felt  embarrassed  and  ashamed  before 
such  integrity. 

"  You're  O.  K.,"  he  finally  remarked  with  a  faint 
attempt  at  pleasantry. 

"  It's  always  O.  K.  to  do  what  you  know  it's  right 
to  do,"  Louis  gravely  replied,  and  hoping  Ben  would 
now  release  him  from  his  promise  and  set  him  right 
with  Mr.  Weston.  But,  evidently,  he  had  no  inten- 
tion of  doing  so,  for  he  presently  changed  the  subject, 
and  Louis,  deeply  hurt,  very  soon  took  his  leave. 

When  Ben  returned  to  school,  while  he  was  civil 
to  Louis,  he  did  not  seek  his  companionship;  on  the 
contrary,  he  rather  avoided  him.  But  he  was  changed 
in  many  ways.  He  no  longer  bullied  the  small  boys ; 
he  was  more  studious,  and  respectful  to  his  teacher, 
while  a  profane  word  seldom  escaped  his  lips. 

Yet  he  did  not  seem  quite  happy ;  instead  of  being 
a  leader  in  the  roughest  sports  as  he  once  had  been, 
he  would  now  often  wander  off  by  himself  at  recess, 
or  sit  quietly  watching  the  various  games,  especially 
when  Louis  was  in  the  playground. 

This  went  on  for  some  time,  the  two  boys  seldom 
coming  in  contact,  while  Louis  had  about  given  up 
all  hope  that  Ben  would  ever  "  do  the  square  thing. " 
by  him. 

One  stormy  Saturday,  after  a  long,  tedious  day 
picking  over  apples  with  Jerry,  who  had  been  unusu- 
ally surly,  Mrs.  Weston  asked  him  if  he  would  do  the 
errands  uptown  for  her,  as  Mr.  Weston,  not  feeling 
well,  did  not  like  to  go  out  in  the  storm. 

Louis  was  only  too  glad  of  the  opportunity,  and 


138  STEP   BY   STEP 

set  off,  whistling  merrily,  and  with  Ponce  for  com- 
pany. 

His  errands  done  he  stopped  at  the  post  office, 
where  he  found  an  unusually  large  budget  of  papers 
and  letters,  after  which  he  and  Ponce  made  quick  time 
back  to  get  in  out  of  the  storm,  and  entered  the  cheer- 
ful, homelike  kitchen  just  as  Hannah  was  dishing 
up  the  fragrant  baked  beans  and  brown  bread  for 
supper. 

He  took  the  mail  in  to  Mr.  Weston,  then  went  to 
make  himself  ready  for  the  table. 

The  first  letter  the  farmer  opened  and  read  caused 
the  hot  color  to  mount  into  his  face,  and  a  peculiar 
expression  to  come  into  his  eyes  and  settle  about  his 
mouth. 

Presently  turning  to  his  wife  he  held  out  the  mis- 
sive to  her,  remarking  with  visible  agitation : 

"  Mother,  I  have  something  rather  interesting  here, 
if  you  would  like  to  read  it." 

Wondering  what  interesting  news  could  so  disquiet 
her  husband,  Mrs.  Weston  /took  the  letter  and  read  it. 

Tears  streamed  over  her  cheeks  before  she  had  half 
perused  it,  and  the  following  is  a  copy  of  the  absorb- 
ing, though  decidedly  faulty,  document  that  caused 
this  emotion : 

ME.  WESTON:  i'v  got  something  to  tell  you. 
Louis  didn't  lame  your  colt,  i  done  it  and  i'm  glad 
he  aint  spoiled  after  all.  i  rid  him  that  day  and  he 
didn't  like  it  for  a  cent,  but  i  stuck  til  he  stumbled 
and  pitched  me  off,  my  head  was  cut  open  and  i've 


STEP   BY   STEP  139 

ben  orful  sick  since.  Louis  found  out  how  i  got  hurt 
and  promised  he  wouldn't  tell  while  i  was  sick — guess 
he  haint  told  yet,  but  i  know  it  aint  fair  so  i'm 
telling  myself,  i'v  told  Pa  and  he's  goin  to  write  you 
a  letter,  i'm  sorry.  BEN  PKATT. 

"  Louis,  dear  boy,  is  all  right.  I've  felt  from  the 
first  that  he  told  the  truth  about  Blackbird;  and  he 
has  been  so  brave  and  patient  through  it  all !  "  said 
Mrs.  Weston,  as  she  refolded  Ben's  letter  and  wiped 
her  tears. 

"  He  has  indeed,"  heartily  responded  her  hus- 
band, "  and  I  feel  condemned  now  for  not  having 
had  absolute  faith  in  him ;  but  Jerry  was  so  positive 
about  what  he  saw,  the  evidence  against  him  seemed 
pretty  strong." 

A  few  minutes  later  when  Louis  came  into  the 
room  he  observed : 

"  Here  is  a  letter  I  want  you  to  read.  Ben  Pratt 
has  told  me  the  whole  story  about  the  colt." 

"  Ben  has  told  you !  "  Louis  repeated,  his  eyes 
growing  big  and  bright,  his  whole  face  radiant. 
"  Gee — whiz !  but  I  began  to  be  afraid  he'd  never 
do  the  square  thing.  Whew!  if  I  was  out  of  ^oors 
I'd  yell  so  he'd  hear  me  in  town,  I'm  so  glad,"  and 
the  boy  could  hardly  keep  from  dancing  with  joy,  so 
elated  was  he  by  this  happy  and  unexpected  ending 
of  all  his  recent  troubles ;  while,  as  he  read  the  letter, 
it  seemed  to  him  the  most  important  epistle  that  was 
ever  penned  in  spite  of  small  t's,  bad  spelling  and 
faulty  phraseology. 


140  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  Hcrw  long  have  you  known  that  Ben  was  the 
guilty  one  ?  "  Mr.  Weston  inquired,  smiling  in  sym- 
pathy with  his  joy. 

"  I  found  it  out  the  next  Thursday  after  Blackbird 
was  hurt,"  he  replied,  and  then  related  how  and 
where  he  had  discovered  the  scrap  of  cloth  which  had 
been  torn  from  Ben's  jacket,  and  their  talk  about  it 
afterwards  during  the  call  upon  him. 

"  That  was  not  quite  fair  to  yourself,  my  boy,  to 
promise  to  keep  such  a  secret,"  said  the  farmer  when 
the  story  was  told. 

"  Well,  but  he  was  sick ;  and  a  fellow  doesn't  want 
to  be  hard  on  another  when  he  is  down,"  Louis  mod- 
estly affirmed. 

"  Were  you  never  going  to  tell  me  about  it  ?  "  in- 
quired his  friend. 

"  What  would  have  been  the  use  ?  After  I'd  given 
him  the  piece  of  cloth  there  was  nothing  to  prove  he 
did  it,  and  I — I  thought  perhaps  it  would  be  taken 
care  of,  some  way,  if  I  did  the  best  I  could,"  the  lad 
explained  with  some  embarrassment,  while  he 
thoughtfully  traced  a  figure  on  the  carpet  with  the 
toe  of  his  slipper. 

Mr.  Weston's  face  was  a  study  as  he  listened. 

"  Well,  my  son,"  he  observed,  in  a  voice  that  was 
a  trifle  husky,  after  a  moment  of  silence,  "  if  you 
govern  all  your  future  life  with  such  absolute  faith 
and  unswerving  principle,  you'll  have  ballast  that 
will  steady  your  craft  into  a  safe  harbor  at  last. 
There  are  older  people  who  would  do  well  to  emulate 
your  example,  Louis,  and  I  am  happy  and  proud 


STEP  BY   STEP  141 

to  have  such  a  boy  in  my  home.  Now " — as  the 
supper  bell  rang — "  let  us  top  off  with  baked  beans 
and  brown  bread ;  "  and  with  a  jovial  laugh  that 
was  echoed  by  both  his  wife  and  Louis,  the  farmer 
led  the  way  to  the  dining-room. 

After  the  meal  was  over  he  went  to  the  barn  and 
told  Jerry  the  whole  story. 

"  Eh ! — the  Pratt  boy ! — by  gum!  "  That  was  all 
he  said  about  it,  but  there  was  a  sparkle  of  malicious 
enjoyment  in  Mr.  Weston's  eyes  as  the  man  leaped 
to  his  feet  and  began  to  stalk  nervously  around  the 
barn,  going  aimlessly  from  one  stall  to  another  and 
finally  disappearing  within  Blackbird's  box,  shutting 
the  door  after  himself  with  a  resounding  bang. 

But  the  farmer  knew  Jerry  was  completely  upset 
and  wanted  to  fight  it  out  alone,  so  he  quietly  went 
back  to  the  house,  feeling  pretty  sure  that  this  vol- 
canic eruption  would  be  productive  of  clearer  skies 
and  fairer  weather  in  the  future  for  Louis. 

Sunday  af ternon,  about  stock-feeding  time,  the  boy 
strolled  out  to  the  barn.  He  loved  every  creature  in 
it  and  liked  to  be  around  among  them,  even  though 
of  late  Jerry  had  been  so  disaffected  he  would  not 
allow  him  to  do  anything  except  what  Mr.  Weston 
ordered  him  to  do. 

He  looked  up  rather  sheepishly  as  Louis  entered. 
Then  suddenly  bracing  up  he  remarked  in  a  con- 
fidential tone: 

"  Say,  Louis,  I'm  in  a  hurry  to  get  off  to-night ; 
want  to  help  ?  " 

"  Course  I'd  like  to  help,  Jerry.    What'll  I  do?  " 


142  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  S'pose — you  feed  '  the  bird  '  and  bed  him  down, 
and  I'll  'tend  to  the  other  critters,"  said  the  man  with 
unprecedented  complaisance;  for  the  care  of  Black- 
bird at  night  had  become  to  him  almost  a  religious 
rite  in  which  no  one  else  was  allowed  to  participate. 

This  unlooked-for  manifestation  of  good-will  al- 
most floored  Louis ;  but  there  was  a  whole  chapter  of 
meaning  in  it  for  him,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  he 
repressed  a  wild  whoop  of  triumph  over  another  con- 
quered foe  as,  with  a  matter-of-fact  "  All  right,"  he 
slipped  softly  in  beside  the  colt  who  greeted  him  with 
his  old  affectionate  whinny.  But  here  he  had  to  let 
off  steam,  and  throwing  his  arms  about  Blackbird's 
graceful  neck  he  buried  his  face  in  his  glossy  mane 
and  gave  him  a  vigorous  hug  as  he  gleefully  whis- 
pered : 

"  We've  trolled  a  long  time  to  oatch  that  fish, 
haven't  we,  you  black  beauty?  But  I  guess  we've 
landed  him  all  right  at  last."  And  this  was  true, 
for  during  all  his  after  life  he  had  no  more  loyal 
and  devoted  friend  than  Jerry  McLeod. 

We  cannot  follow  our  hero,  in  detail,  through  all 
the  experiences  of  his  home  and  school  life.  It  must 
suffice  to  say  that  he  grew  to  be  more  and  more  like 
a  son  to  good  Farmer  Weston  and  his  wife.  He  made 
steady  progress  in  his  studies  and  entered  the  high 
school  two  years  after  becoming  a  member  of  their 
family.  Here  he  also  won  many  friends  among  his 
classmates  as  well  as  "  golden  opinions  "  from  his 
teachers ;  and  so  time  sped  on. 

He  had  just  started  on  his  senior  year,  when,  ono 


STEP  BY   STEP  143 

morning,  on  entering  the  school-building  he  suddenly 
came  face  to  face  with  a  new  scholar — a  young  girl 
of  perhaps  fifteen  years.  She  was  dressed  all  in 
black;  her  long,  glittering  braid  of  golden  hair  was 
tied  with  a  great  bow  of  black  ribbon,  while  a  hat  of 
the  same  sombre  hue  surmounted  a  fair  face  that  was 
like  a  delicately-carved  cameo. 

"  I  beg  pardon/"  said  Louis,  doffing  his  cap,  as  he 
courteously  stepped  aside  to  allow  her  to  pass. 

The  next  moment  his  heart  gave  a  great  startled 
bound  as,  after  his  observing  eyes  had  swept  the  beau- 
tiful face  a  second  time,  he  recognized  an  old  ac- 
quaintance. 

"  She  is — Gipsy !  "  he  breathed,  amazed,  and 
turned  to  watch  the  graceful  figure  as  the  girl,  all 
unconscious  of  the  conflicting  emotions  she  had 
aroused  in  the  heart  of  "  that  stunning-looking  fel- 
low," walked  on  toward  the  dressing-room  to  remove 
her  coat  and  hat  before  going  to  her  class-room. 


144  STEP  BY  STEP 


CHAPTER  XL 

Louis  was  so  excited  over  his  startling  discovery 
and  the  distracting  presence  of  the  new  scholar,  it 
was  with  difficulty  he  could  settle  down  to  his  work 
that  morning,  while  he  was  all  on  the  qui  vive  to 
learn  something  about  her — her  name  and  how  she 
happened  to  appear  upon  the  scene  so  unexpectedly, 
and,  most  wonderful  of  all,  at  her  age  a  senior  in  fhe 
high  school. 

During  recess  his  curiosity  was  somewhat  ap- 
peased upon  learning  that  the  name  of  the  new  pupil 
was  Margaret  Churchill  Lawrence,  and  throughout 
the  remainder  of  the  day  he  frequently  found  him- 
self studying  the  face  of  its  owner  to  ascertain,  if 
possible,  whether  the  somewhat  high-sounding  cog- 
nomen fitted  her  nicely.  He  thought,  on  the  whole, 
it  did,  although  perhaps  a  few  years  later  she  might 
be  better  able  to  support  the  dignity  of  it 

She  had  changed  much  during  the  five  years  that 
had  elapsed  since  their  meeting. 

She  had  been  a  dear  little  fairy  at  that  time,  a 
sweet-tempered  child,  bubbling  over  with  buoyant 
happiness  and  spirits.  Now  she  had  spun  up  into 
a  tall  slip  of  a  girl,  who  bade  fair  to  be  very  lovely 
a  few  years  later,  and  had  acquired  an  air  and  bear- 
ing that  was  entirely  different  from  the  Gipsy  who 


STEP   BY   STEP  145- 

had  been  so  light-hearted  and  care-free  on  the  day 
of  their  first  meeting  at  the  county  fair. 

Louis  felt  almost  sure  that  she  must  have,  known 
some  recent  sorrow  which  had  saddened  her,  for  there 
was  a  grieved  look  about  her  eyes  and  a  pathetic  droop 
to  the  sweet  lips;  then,  too,  her  black  dress  and  rib- 
bons were  suggestive.  All  the  same,  he  thought  she 
was  very  winsome,  and  he1  was  impatient  to  make 
her  acquaintance. 

He  wondered  if  she  would  be  glad  to  get  back  her 
pretty  ring,  which,  however,  would  be  much  too  small 
for  her  now,  and  which  he  still  carefully  preserved 
with  his  mother's  wedding  ring  in  a  small  compart- 
ment of  a  beautiful  writing-desk  which  Mrs.  Rich- 
ards had  added  to  the  furnishings  of  his  room  during 
a  recent  visit  home. 

The  next  day  while  he  was  chatting  with  Charlie 
Osgood  and  Nellie  Evarts,  two  other  classmates  and 
friends,  Margaret  Lawrence's  name  was  mentioned, 
when  Nellie  said  she  had  met  her,  adding  with  girlish 
impulsiveness : 

"  And  she  is  just  as  sweet  and  lovely  as  she  looks." 

"  Is  she  one  of  the — ahem ! — swell  kind  ?  "  queried 
Charlie  Osgood  with  an  indescribable  air  and  smirk. 

"  Whfct  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  "  inquired  Nellie. 

"  Oh,  you  know.  One  of  the  Josephine  Ashton 
kind ;  "  and  he  gave  his  head  a  haughty  toss,  be- 
stowing a  cold,  supercilious  stare  upon  her,  in  lu- 
dicrous imitation  of  the  proud  daughter  of  the  mil- 
lionaire of  the  town. 

"  Fie,  you  naughty  boy !     Josephine  isn't  half  so 


146  STEP  BY   STEP 

bad  as  that,  when  you  come  to  know  her,"  said 
the  young  girl,  in  stout  defense  of  her  absent  class- 
mate. 

"  She  is  very  different  from  you,  anyhow,  Nellie. 
I  can't  endure  the  swish-swash  of  her  silks  and 
satins ;  and  the  glare  of  her  diamonds  makes  me  mad. 
Girls  have  no  business  to  dress  like  that  for  school. 
Now  you  are  sensible  " — running  his  eye  approvingly 
over  her  trim  figure  in  its  simple  blue  serge  suit — 
"  and  I'll  bet  Miss  Lawrence  is  too;  she  looks  as  neat 
as  a  new  pin." 

"Thank  you,  Charlie,  for  myself;  and  doubtless 
Miss  Lawrence  would  ;ilso  appreciate  the  compliment 
from  such  high  authority,"  Nellie  laughingly  re- 
turned, and  flushing  slightly,  for  Charlie  Osgood,  in 
her  estimation,  was  about  the  nicest,  if  not  the  very 
finest  boy  in  the  class. 

"  But  does  she  live  on  the  North  or  the  South 
side  ?  "  he  pursued  mischievously,  "  for  if  she  isn't 
located  on  the  South,  in  a  three-story  swell  front 
house  with  an  o&servatory  and  a  conservatory  and  all 
that,  she  can't  be  in  our  set,  you  know." 

Now,  the  "  North  side  "  and  the  "  South  side  " 
meant  a  great  deal  in  that  beautiful  suburb  of  Bos- 
ton. A  lovely  stream  divided  the  town  into  two 
sections,  the  southern,  or  newer,  swell  portion,  stretch- 
ing away  up  on  the  hills,  and  bristling  with  fine  resi- 
dences; and  the  north  part,  which  had  once  been 
thought  very  nice,  but  was  now  looked  down  upon,  in 
more  senses  than  one,  by  its  would-be  aristocratic 
neighbors. 


STEP   BY   STEP  147 

"  Charlie  appears  to  be  in  a  sarcastic  mood  this 
morning,"  Louis  here  interposed. 

"  Well,  you  see,  I'm  interested  in  the  new  scholar," 
he  returned  with  twinkling  eyes  but  with  mock  anx- 
iety. "  She  looks  O.  K.  to  me,  but  if  she  isn't  located 
right,  you  know,  she  cannot  swing  in  our  circle. 
We"  assuming  a  pompous  air  and  inflating  his  chest, 
"  live  in  a  rarefied  atmosphere,  consequently,  under 
such  superior  conditions,  it  is  natural  we  should 
dilate,  inflate,  swell;  while  those  poor  mortals  down 
yonder  are  of  no  earthly  account,  because  fashion  has 
set  a  dividing  line,  and  decrees — '  thus  far  and  no 
farther.'  Faugh !  " 

"  You  are  too  ridiculous,  Charlie,"  said  Nellie, 
laughing ;  "  though  I  know  as  well  as  you  do  that  it  is 
perfectly  absurd  to  assume  that  people  on  this  side  of 
the  river  are  of  more  account  simply  because  they 
have  more 'money,  live  in  nicer  houses,  and  real  estate 
is  valued  higher." 

"  Just  as  if  houses  or  land  could  make  any  essen- 
tial difference  in  the  people  who  own  them,  or  money 
could  buy  either  brains  or  character !  "  Louis  here 
quietly  observed,  but  with  a  scornful  curhof  his  lips 
that  spoke  volumes. 

"  It  is  all  bosh,"  said  Charlie  impatiently ;  "  but 
there's  a  lot  of  that  feeling  in  the  town,  and  in  the 
school,  too;  and  I'm  disgusted  with  it." 

Then  it  will  not  shock  either  of  you  to  learn  that 
the  Lawrences  live  on  the  North  side,"  remarked 
Nellie  with  a  twinkle  of  mischief  in  her  bright  eyes, 
"  and  I'm  afraid  they  are  rather  poor.  Margaret's 


148  STEP  BY   STEP 

father  died  about  a  year  ago;  she  has  a  brother  in 
Harvard,  and  she  and  her  mother  came  here  to  live 
to  be  near  him.  They've  taken  the  Rand  cottage  on 
Morse  Street.  I've  heard,  though,  that  they  used  to 
have  a  great  deal  of  money,  and  they  say  that  Mar- 
garet is  a  great  scholar.  She  must  be  to  be  in  our 
class,  for  she  is  only  fifteen." 

"Great  Scott!"  exclaimed  Charlie  in  surprise. 
while  Louis  flushed  slightly,  but  said  nothing. 

"  I  think  she  is  splendid,  and  I'm  going  to  culti- 
vate her — "  began  Nellie.  ( 

"  In  spite  of  the  North  side  and  the  Rand  cottage," 
interposed  Charlie  with  a  chuckle.  "  You  have 
pluck,  Nell !  " 

"  Thank  you ;  and  since  you  are  also  so  demo- 
cratic I  shall  expect  you  to  stand  by  me,"  she  flashed 
back,  then  added  roguishly :  "  There  she  comes  now ; 
brace  up  and  I'll  introduce  you." 

Louis  gave  a  start  of  eagerness,  for  he  most  ear- 
nestly desired  a  formal  introduction  to  Miss  Law- 
rence. Charlie,  on  the  other  hand,  being  a  trifle 
shy  of  strangers,  flushed  to  his  eyes  and  began  to 
edge  off  when,  chancing  to  glance  behind  him,  his 
bashfulness  was  superseded  by  an  amusing  effort  to 
"  brace  up  "  and  stand  his  ground. 

"  Oh,  yes,  do,"  he  cried  with  a  deepening  flush, 
"  for  there  comes  Jo.  Ash  ton  herself — 

"  With  rings  on  her  fingers  and  p'raps  on  her  toes, 
Always  in  silks  and  satins  wherever  she  goes," 

he  paraphrased.    "  I'd  rather  face  a  dozen  new  girls 


STEP  BY   STEP  149 

any  day  than  to  run  against  her  imperial  highness 
in  all  that  toggery." 

And  so,  to  escape  the  richest  girl  in  town,  bashful 
Charlie  Osgood  allowed  himself  to  be  introduced  to 
Miss  Lawrence,  and  really  bore  himself  very  credit- 
ably. 

When  Louis  was  presented  to  her,  Margaret  started 
slightly  and  gave  him  a  searching  look. 

"  Are  you —  '  she  began  impulsively,  after  ac- 
knowledging the  introduction,  then  cut  herself  short 
and  blushed  for  having  so  nearly  reminded  him  of 
something  which  might  be  unpleasant  to  recall;  for 
this  manly,  handsome,  well-dressed  fellow  did  not 
look  as  if  he  could  ever  have  been  the  forlorn  little 
tramp  whom  she  had  met  at  the  county  fair,  five 
years  ago. 

Louis  understood  and  smiled  frankly  into  her  eyes. 

"  Yea,  I'm  the  same  boy  who  rescued  your  flying 
hat  that  day  up  in  New  Hampshire,"  he  said,  add- 
ing :  "  and  it  is  rather  queer,  isn't  it,  that  we  should 
now  find  ourselves  here  in  the  same  school  together  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed  it  is,  and  I  have  often  wondered 
what  became  of  you,"  Margaret  replied.  "  We  tried 
to  find  you  again  that  day,  but  you  had  disappeared. 
Papa  was  going  to  ask  you  to  go  home  with  us." 

"  So  you  are  old  acquaintances !  "  exclaimed  Nellie 
Evarts  in  surprise.  "  Well,  wonders  will  never 
cease!  " 

A  moment  or  two  later  she  and  Charlie  turned  to 
speak  to  some  other  classmates,  when  Louis,  drawing 
nearer  his  companion,  remarked  in  a  low  tone: 


150  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  Miss  Lawrence,  the  bag  of  candy  you  gave  me 
upon  that  occasion  proved  to  be  a  more  valuable  gift 
than  you  dreamed  of,  I  imagine." 

Margaret  looked  perplexed,  and  Louis  smilingly 
continued : 

"  I  was  very  economical  with  its  contents,  for  I 
did  not  know  when  I  would  have  any  more,  so  it  was 
three  weeks  later  when  I  came  to  my  last  chocolate 
cream  and  found  something,  which  I  am  sure  you  did 
not  intend  to  give  me,  almost  buried  in  it — it  was 
this." 

He  produced  a  tiny  box  as  he  spoke  and  handed 
it  to  her.  He  had  slipped  it  into  his  pocket  that 
morning,  thinking  he  would  give  it  to  her  the  first 
opportunity  that  offered. 

With  a  look  of  wonder  Margaret  lifted  the  cover, 
to  find  her  long-lost  ring  reposing  upon  a  bed  of 
snowy  cotton. 

"  Oh !  my  ring !  "  she  cried  joyfully,  instantly 
recognizing  it.  Then  the  hot  tears  rushed  into  her 
eyes,  almost  blinding  her.  "  Papa  gave  it  to  me  that 
very  day — it  was  my  birthday  gift,  and  I  was  heart- 
broken over  losing  it,"  she  explained  with  tremulous 
lips. 

"  I  tried  to  find  you  a  little  later  and  restore  it," 
Louis  observed,  and  then  described  his  visit  to,  and 
interview  with,  the  postmaster,  and  how  disappointed 
he  had  been  over  his  failure. 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  have  it  again,  though  it  is  too 
small  now  for  any  finger,  except  my  little  one,"  said 
the  girl,  regarding  it  fondly.  "  It  was  my  first  ring 


STEP   BY   STEP  151 

with  a  setting;  and,  though  I  have  had  several  others, 
since,  not  one  has  ever  seemed  quite  so  fine.  I  thank 
you  more  than  I  can  tell  you  for  taking  such  nice  care 
of  it." 

"  You  cannot  be  more  glad  than  I  that  its  owner 
has  it  back  again,"  said  Louis ;  "  and  now  I'd  like  to 
ask  about  your  brother." 

"Oh,  Ted? — he  is  in  Harvard,  a  junior,  and  is 
trying  to  work  his  own  way  through  college,"  Mar- 
garet explained,  flushing  slightly  as  she  thus  frankly 
referred  to  the  change  in  her  circumstances.  "  We 
lost  papa  last  year,"  she  went  on  with  an  effort. 
"  He  had  had  a  lot  of  trouble  for  a  couple  of  years, 
and  it  wore  him  out ;  but  Ted  was  so  well  started  in 
his  course,  papa  made  him  promise  he  would  try  and. 
go  through.  He  finds  it  pretty  hard,  though ;  but  he 
is  brave  and  a  good  worker,  and  I'm  sure  he  will  win 
out,"  she  concluded  with  a  glow  of  sisterly  pride. 

"  Our  home  used  to  be  in  Lawrence,"  she  presently 
resumed — "  the  city  was  named,  years  ago,  for  one 
of  papa's  ancestors — but  we  always  spent  our  sum- 
mers in  New  Hampshire,  so  that  is  how  we  happened 
to  be  at  the  county  fair  that  day.  After  we  lost  papa, 
our  home  had  to  be  sold ;  so  mamma  and  I  came  here 
to  live,  in  order  to  be  near  Ted." 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  like  it  here,"  Louis  hastened 
to  say,  for  this  reference  to  her  old  home  had  seemed 
to  sadden  her.  "  Everybody  thinks  this  is  a  beautiful 
town." 

Then  he  told  her  something  of  his  own  experiences 
during  the  last  five  years,  and  they  chatted  socially 


ip  STEP  BY   S1EP 

mtil  the  bell  rang,  then  walked  to  the  building  to- 
gether, feeling  very  much  like  old  acquaintances  re- 
united. 

Margaret  Lawrence  very  soon  became  friendly 
with  most  of  her  class,  even  though  she  made  no  pre- 
tense of  being  other  than  she  was — a  girl  who  was 
fitting  hevself  to  be  a  teacher  because  she  would  have 
her  own  living  to  earn  in  the  future.  Josephine 
Aahton  and  a  few  others,  however,  openly  ignored 
her  after  ascertaining  her  social  standing,  simply 
giving  her  a  cold  stare  and  a  frigid  bow  whenever 
they  chanced  to  meet 

Blind-hearted  Nellie  Evarts  tried  to  excuse  Jo- 
aephine'ft  treatment  by  explaining  that  her  father  waa 
a  millionaire;  that  she  lived  in  the  finest  residence 
in  town,  and  had  everything  she  Wanted. 

"  Is  ehe  a  good  scholar  2  "  Margaret  inquired,  and 
without  appearing  to  be  very  deeply  impressed  by 
the  account  of  the  girl's  wealth  and  position. 

"  First-rate ;  she  almost  always  leads  the  class, 
but  when  anyone  happens  to  go  to  the  front  I  tell 
yon  her  head  goes  up  higher  than  ever,  and  woe  be 
to  the  offender." 

Margaret  made  no  response  to  this,  but  the  lines 
about  her  mouth  settled  a  little  more  firmly,  and  the 
tweet  blue  eyes  grew  darker  and  brighter  from  some 
secret  thought 

It  was  not  very  long  before  the  ambitious  ones  in 
the  class  became  conscious  that  they  would  have  to 
work  even  more  diligently  in  order  to  retain  the 
laurels  which  they  had  already  won;  for  the  new 


STEP  BY   STEP  153 

scholar  soon  proved  herself  to  be  an  exceptionally 
brilliant  student  Every  lesson  was  thoroughly  pre- 
pared; her  recitations  were  well-nigh  perfect,  Pro- 
fessor Allyn  not  unfrequently  expressing  commenda- 
tion of  her  proficiency  in  this  respect. 

In  mathematics  she  was  almost  a  prodigy  —  "  a 
mathematical  wonder,"  Charlie  Osgood  called  her  one 
day  in  the  hearing  of  Josephine  Ashton,  who  had 
grown  very  jealous  of  her. 

"  Oh,  dear  !  I'm  tired  to  death  hearing  that  Law- 
rence girl's  praises  sounded  upon  every  occasion  —  da 
give  us  a  rest,"  she  petulantly  exclaimed. 

"  But  just  think  of  it,"  persisted  the  boy  with  a 
touch  of  malice.  "  She  is  only  fifteen  years  old,  and 
yet  those  knotty  algebra  problems  seem  as  simple  as 
the  multiplication  table  to  her.  I  tell  you,  she's  the 
smartest  girl  I  ever  saw,"  he  concluded  admir- 


"  Humph  !  you  don't  suppose  for  a  minute  that  she 
does  all  those  problems  and  gets  the  correct  answers 
without  any  outside  help,  do  you  ?  "  sharply  de4 
manded  Miss  Ashton. 

"  Why,  yes,  of  course  I  do,"  Charlie  positively 
affirmed. 

"  She  says  she  does,"  Nellie  Evarts  here  inter- 
posed. "  She  told  me  that  her  father  used  to  coach 
her  in  mathematics,  but  made  her  reason  everything 
out  for  herself  ;  and  besides,  she  likes  that  study  bet- 
ter than  any  other." 

"  Fudge  I  I'll  bet  she  gets  help  from  some  one," 
excitedly  retorted  Josephine,  who  found  the  disca§~ 


154  STEP  BY   STEP 

•sion  getting  too  warm  for  her,  and  who  forgot  that 
it  is  not  lady-like  to  bet. 

A  few  days  later  there  was  a  very  difficult  lesson 
in  algebra,  embracing  three  or  four  unusually  hard 
problems  to  be  solved,  and  there  were  many  clouded 
brows  and  anxious  faces  in  the  class  when  the  hour 
for  recitation  arrived. 

Mr.  Allyn  began  to  assign  the  work  as  usual,  but 
was  met  with  the  prompt  response — "  I  can't  do  it, 
sir,"  from  everyone  upon  whom  he  called. 

He  ran  his  eye  over  the  class,  marked  the  flushed 
faces  and  averted  eyes,  and  smiled;  for  he  had  not 
forgotten  his  own  struggles,  years  before,  with  these 
very  problems. 

"  Is  there  anyone  present  who  will  put  the  four- 
teenth on  the  board  and  explain  it  to  the  class  ?  "  he 
inquired. 

The  boys  mostly  wore  a  half-defiant,  "  I-can't-but-I- 
don't-care  "  expression,  and  the  girls  appeared  con- 
fused and  discouraged ;  but  no  one  made  any  move 
to  comply  with  his  request. 

"  Well,  well !  "  said  the  professor  good-naturedly ; 
"  this  lesson  was  a  poser,  wasn't  it  ? — but  I  really 
hoped  there  would  be  some  one  who  would  conquer 
these  giants  in  the  way.  Miss  Lawrence,  were  they 
too  much  for  you  also  ?  " 

"  N-o,  sir,"  modestly  returned  Margaret.  She  had 
shrunk  from  making  herself  conspicuous  by  offering 
to  put  the  problem  he  had  called  for  on  the  board. 

"  Ah !  "  he  said  in  a  satisfied  tone,  "  have  you 
worked  them  all  out  ? " 


STEP   BY   STEP  155 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  please  put  the  fourteenth  on  the  board  and 
explain  it  to  the  class." 

Margaret  arose  to  comply  with  his  request,  but  as 
she  was  passing  Josephine  Ashton,  the  jealous  girl 
sneered  audibly  and  muttered  something  about  a 
"  mathematical  prodigy,"  which  sent  the  blood  tin- 
gling to  Margaret's  finger-tips. 

But  she  quickly  performed  her  work,  then  ex- 
plained it  in  a  way  to  show  that  she  clearly  compre- 
hended it,  after  which  she  quietly  returned  to  her 
seat  amid  the  applause  of  the  class;  for  the  four- 
teenth was  the  biggest  stumbling-block  in  the  way  and 
the  key  to  all  the  others. 

One  morning  about  a  week  after  this,  the  class 
realized  that  something  had  gone  very  wrong,  the 
moment  Professor  Allyn  entered  the  room. 

As  soon  as  the  opening  exercises  were  concluded, 
he  rapped  sharply  upon  his  desk  for  attention,  which 
was  instantly  accorded  him. 

"  Scholars,"  he  began  in  a  cold,  stern  tone,  "  noth- 
ing could  cause  me  keener  pain  than  to  learn  that 
any  member  of  this  class  would  be  guilty  of  decep- 
tion, or  any  dishonorable  act,  in  order  to  gain  a  high 
standard  of  scholarship :  it  would  not  only  be  a  great 
wrong  against  others,  but  most  degrading  to  the 
offender.  I  regret  to  say  I  have  reason  to  believe 
that  there  is  some  one  in  the  room  who  has  a  key  to 
the  algebra  we  are  using,  which,  as  you  all  know,  is 
strictly  forbidden.  And  now,  the  one  who  1ms  such  a 
book  may  bring  it  to  the  desk." 


150  STEP  BY   STEP 

There  was  an  oppressive  silence  in  the  room  when 
he  concluded.  Every  face  before  him  wore  a  look  of 
blank  amazement,  while  not  a  student  moved  to  do 
his  bidding. 

Professor  Allyn  stood  like  a  statue,  his  face  white 
and  set  from  displeasure,  while  he  waited  to  be 
obeyed. 

Still  no  one  moved. 

"  I  perceive  I  shall  be  obliged  to  resort  to  more 
radical  measures,"  he  said  sharply.  "  As  I  call  the 
roll  let  each  scholar  reply  '  yes  '  or  '  no,'  as  the  case 
may  be." 

The  roll  was  called.    The  response  was  invariably : 

"  No,  sir." 

The  man's  eyes  flashed  fire  as  he  concluded  and 
put  down  the  record. 

"  Let  every  book  be  removed  from  each  desk  and 
placed  upon  the  top,"  he  thundered. 

There  were  wondering  faces  and  quaking  hearts 
as  the  work  of  examining  the  desks  began. 

The  very  first  book  that  Margaret  Lawrence  drew 
forth  was  the  forbidden  key! 


STEP  BY   STEP  157 


CHAPTER    XII. 

AN  expression  of  mingled  astonishment  and  con- 
sternation swept  over  Margaret's  face  as  her  glance 
fell  upon  the  little  volume  which  she  had  never  seen 
until  that  moment.  Then  the  hot,  swift  color  surged 
up  to  her  temples,  an  overwhelming  flame,  but  only 
to  recede  as  quickly  as  it  came  and  leave  her  start- 
lingly  pale  and  wit^i  a  heart  beating  with  almost 
suffocating  rapidity. 

What  did  it  mean  ?    What  could  she  do  ? 

She  had  affirmed  to  her  principal  and  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  whole  school  that  she  had  nothing  of  the 
kind  in  her  possession,  and  here,  in  her  hands,  she 
held  the  witness  to  her  apparent  guilt  and  a  falsehood 
to  conceal  it 

What  could  she  say?  how  establish  her  innocence 
and  win  back  the  confidence  and  respect  of  her 
teacher  and  hfer  classmates  in  the  face  of  such  con- 
clusive evidence  ? 

For  a  moment,  that  seemed  an  age,  she  was  almost 
crushed  with  grief  and  shame,  as  she  tried  to  think 
how  she  could  meet  this  trying  ordeaL  The  next 
.-.lio  arose  in  her  seat,  though  she  trembled  in  every 
limb,  and  held  the  book  aloft  where  it  could  be  seen 
by  everyone  in  the  room. 

"  Professor  Allyn,"  she  began  in  a  clear  but  trem- 


158  STEP  BY   STEP 

ulous  voice,  "  I  have  found  a  key  to  our  algebra  in 
my  desk;  but  I  do  not  know  how  it  came  there.  I 
have  never  used  a  mathematical  key  in  my  life — I 
have  never  even  seen  one  before." 

Every  eye  was  fixed  upon  her,  and  there  was  a 
sharp  rustle  of  excitement  throughout  the  room. 

Professor  Allyn's  searching  eyes  did  not  leave  her 
face  while  she  was  speaking;  indeed  he  had  been 
covertly  watching  her  from  the  first,  and  he  had  been 
considerably  perplexed  by  her  manner;  but  then-  was 
the  evidence  of  her  guilt  in  her  hands,  and  what 
could  he  think? 

"  Miss  Lawrence,  I  am  more  pained  than  I  can 
express,"  he  gravely  remarked.  "  I  knew  the  key 
was  in  your  desk,  for  I  went  to  it  this  morning  to 
get  the  philosophy  I  loaned  you  yesterday,  and  in  my 
search  for  that  the  key  came  to  light." 

"  But  it  was  not  here  yesterday  afternoon  when  I 
left  the  room,"  Margaret  affirmed  with  quivering 
lips,  "  for  I  arranged  everything  at  the  close  of  x 
school  and  only  my  usual  books  were  in  my  desk ;  be- 
sides, I  always  do  my  algebra  problems  at  home,  and 
if  I  had  (been  in  the  habit  of  using  a  key  I  should 
never  have  brought  it  to  school." 

This  was  certainly  a  telling  argument,  and  Pro- 
fessor Allyn's  face  lost  something  of  its  stern  look. 

"  Could  it  be  possible,"  he  asked  himself,  "  that  the 
girl  had  an  enemy  in  the  class,  who,  jealous  of  her 
proficiency  in  mathematics,  had  taken  this  cowardly 
way  to  place  her  in  a  false  position?" 

She  did  not  appear  like  a  person  capable  of  such 


STEP   BY   STEP  159 

deception;  her  eyes  met  his  frankly  and  steadily, 
but  yet  with  a  look  of  pain  and  perplexity  in  them 
that  strongly  appealed  to  him. 

He  hardly  knew  what  to  think — what  course  to 
pursue.  He  now  regretted  that  he  had  made  the 
matter  so  public,  that  he  had  not  sought  her  person- 
ally, and  privately  charged  her  with  the  offense ;  but 
he  had  been  so  indignant  upon  finding  the  book — 
which  seemed  to  prove  that  both  he  and  the  entire 
class  had  been  grossly  and  habitually  deceived — he 
felt  that  only  open  exposure  and  reprimand  were 
adequate  punishment  for  such  a  misdemeanor.  And 
yet,  what  if  she  were  innocent,  after  all  ? 

"  You  may  be  seated,  Miss  Lawrence,  and  I  will 
inquire  further  into  the  matter  by  and  by,"  he  finally 
remarked,  and  Margaret  sank  into  her  chair,  her 
heart  almost  breaking  with  humiliation  and  a  keen 
sense  of  injustice. 

When  recess  time  came  she  was  too  wretched  to 
go  out  to  mingle  with  her  classmates,  so  remained  in 
her  seat,  with  the  obnoxious  key  still  lying  on  her 
desk,  a  mute  reminder  of  her  recent  mortification. 

Every  scholar  had  left  the  room  and  Professor 
Allyn  had  gone  to  another  portion  of  the  building, 
much  to  Margaret's  regret,  for  she  had  hoped  that  he 
would  take  this  opportunity  to  "  inquire  further  into 
the  matter,"  thus  she  almost  felt  as  if  she  were  ostra- 
cized from  the  support  and  sympathy  of  everyone. 

But  she  had  not  been  alone  three  minutes,  when 
Louis  Arnold  looked  in  at  the  door,  then  came  di- 
rectly to  her.  They  had  become  quite  friendly  by 


160  STEP  BY   STEP 

this  time,  and  her  face  lighted  instantly  at  his  ap- 
proach. 

"  I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  I  do  not  believe  you 
ever  used  that  key,  Miss  Margaret,"  he  said,  then 
added :  "  And  the  general  opinion  among  the  boys 
is  that  some  one  has  played  a  mean  trick  upon  you." 

"  Thank  you  for  coming  to  tell  me  of  your  con- 
fidence in  me,"  Margaret  returned,  but  finding  it 
almost  more  than  she  could  do  to  preserve  her  self- 
possession  at  this  evidence  of  faith  and  good-will. 
After  a  moment  she  went  on :  "  But  I  cannot  prove 
that  I  did  not  use  the  key,  and  of  course  I  cannot  help 
feeling  very  unhappy  about  it." 

"  I  believe  you  can  prove  it,"  Louis  replied,  after 
thinking  a  moment 

"  How  ?  "  she  questioned  eagerly. 

"  You  can  give  up  the  book  to  Professor  Allyn, 
and  then  if  you  continue  to  do  your  work  just  as  well 
as  before  that  would  be  proof  enough  for  everybody." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Margaret  doubtfully ;  "  they 
might  reason  that  I  could  easily  procure  another." 

"I  had  not  thought  of  that,"  said  Louis;  then  as 
his  eye  fell  upon  the  key,  he  asked :  "  Is  this  the 
miserable  bone  of  contention  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Maragaret,  regarding  it  askance. 

"May  I  look  at  it?" 

"  Of  course,  if  you  like — I  have  not  even  opened 
it" 

Louis  picked  it  up  and  slowly  slipped  the  leave* 
through  his  fingers,  glancing  curiously  at  the  pages 
as  he  did  BO. 


STEP   BY   STEP  161 

Suddenly  he  paused  as  a  small  square  of  paper 
fluttered  out  and  fell  to  the  floor. 

"  What  is  this,  I  wonder  ?  "  he  remarked  as  he 
stooped  to  recover  it. 

It  proved  to  be  a  piece  of  tissue  paper,  such  as  is 
placed  between  visiting  cards  to  prevent  the  name 
which  has  been  engraved  or  printed  thereon  being 
soiled,  and  on  this  there  was  the  faint  imprint  of 
a  name — very  faint  it  was,  and  the  lettering,  being  re- 
versed, seemed  almost  illegible. 

He  turned  it  over,  but  with  not  much  better  re- 
sults; then  held  it  up  to  the  light  and  studied  it 
intently  for  a  moment  or  two. 

"  Aha !  "  he  finally  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  satis- 
faction, "  I  suspected  as  much." 

"  What  is  it?  "  Margaret  questioned  almost  breath- 
lessly. 

H§  held  the  paper  between  her  eyes  and  the  light, 
and  she  beheld,  traced  in  very  indistinct  characters, 
ioine  of  which  were  scarcely  distinguishable,  a  name 
that  looked  like  "  Robert  G.  Ashton." 

The  girl  suddenly  flushed  an  angry  scarlet,  and  her 
usually  gentle  eyes  flashed  fire  as  they  met  those  of 
her  companion  in  a  mutually  comprehensive  look. 

"Josephine  Ashton  did  it,"  said  Louis  in  a  tone 
of  conviction.  "  Bob  Ashton  is  her  brother ;  he 
graduated  from  Harvard  last  year,  and  this  key  must 
belong  to  him.  I  am  going  straight  to  Professor 
Allyn  to  tell  him  about  it." 

His  own  eyes  were  blazing  with  indignation,  his 
lips  curled,  his  nostrils  dilated  with  scorn,  and  he 


162  STEP   BY   STEP 

betrayed  evidences  of  excitement  that  were  very  un- 
usual in  our  young  hero,  who  was  habitually  self- 
contained  and  rarely  allowed  himself  to  act  upon  the 
impulse  of  the  moment. 

Had  this  discovery  been  made  in  his  own  interest, 
doubtless  he  would  have  gone  away  by  himself  and 
thought  it  all  over  very  carefully  before  taking  any 
step  against  the  one  who  had  perpetrated  the  wrong 
against  him;  but  now  all  the  chivalry  in  his  nature 
had  been  aroused  to  defend  this  girl  who  had  been 
the  victim  of  a  mean  jealousy,  and  so  unjustly  and 
publicly  disgraced  because  of  it. 

Somehow  he  felt  called  upon — almost  as  if  he  had 
the  right,  so  to  speak — to  stand  by  her;  for,  away 
back  at  the  time  of  their  first  meeting,  there  had 
seemed  to  be  a  kind  of  bond  established  between 
them — a  bond  which  the  possession  of  her  little  ring 
for  so  many  years  had  been  the  guarantee,  even 
though  she  had  never  dreamed  he  had  it.  Then,  too, 
she  had  lost  her  father,  her  brother  was  away  iA 
college,  and  there  was  no  one  else  to  fight  her  battles 
here  in  school. 

For  the  moment  Margaret  herself  had  felt  almost 
as  anxious  as  he  to  have  Mr.  Allyn  and  everybody 
else  in  the  class  know  the  truth ;  in  that  first  flash  of 
angry  feeling  she  had  thought  that  no  punishment, 
however  severe,  could  be  too  heavy  to  be  meted  out 
to  one  who  had  wronged  her  as  Josephine  Ashton 
had  done. 

Then  she  began  to  consider  what  the  consequences 
would  be.  If,  through  this  discovery,  Josephine 


STEP   BY   STEP  163 

should  be  publicly  disgraced,  and  the  contempt  of 
her  teacher  and  the  whole  class  be  turned  upon  her, 
it  would  only  serve  to  make  of  her  a  more  bitter 
enemy  than  now;  and  she  had  been  yearning  to  be 
upon  friendly  terms  with  her. 

Her  own  suffering  had  been,  still  was,  terrible 
beyond  description — almost  more  than  she  could 
bear,  she  thought;  how  then  could  she  wish  anyone 
else  to  be  subjected  to  the  same  experience  ?  Would 
it  not  be  better  to  go  quietly  to  Josephine,  have  it  out 
with  her  and  trust  to  her  honor  to  vindicate  her  ? 

"  What  do  you  suppose  Professor  Allyn  would  do 
if  he  knew  ?  "  she  inquired  of  Louis,  after  running 
these  things  over  in  her  own  mind. 

"  Why,  just  what  he  ought  to  do — bring  the  real 
culprit  to  summary  justice/'  he  spiritedly  responded, 
and  then  turned  with  the  book  in  his  hand  as  if  to 
go  directly  to  find  the  principal. 

Margaret  put  out  a  trembling  hand  to  detain  him. 

"  Wait— please ;  don't,"  she  pleaded.    "  I— 

"  Of  course  I  shall,  or  else  you  must,"  La  inter- 
posed with  decision.  "  This  is  the  meanest  trick  I 
ever  heard  of,  and  I'm  not  going  to  stand  tamely 
by  and  let  you  bear  such  a  wrong.  T  should  feel  like 
a — a  coward." 

Margaret  smiled  faintly  at  his  earnestness. 

"  You  are  very  good  to  take  my  part  so  bravely," 
she  said  gratefully ;  "  but  I  think  I  would  like  to 
settle  this  quietly  if  I  can.  I  believe  I  will  return 
the  book  to  Miss  Ashton,  and  perhaps,  when  she 
learns  what  we  have  discovered,  she  may  be  willing 


164  STEP   BY   STEP 

to  do  what  is  right.  Please  promise  me  you  will  not 
say  anything  about  it — at  least  until  I  HOO  what  1 
can  do." 

"I  don't  ike  to  do  that,"  said  Louis  reluctantly. 
"  Why,  I  hould  think  you  would  be  too  angry  for 
anything,  and  feel  that  nothing  would  bo  too  bad 
for  her." 

"  I  did  feel  so  at  first,"  the  girl  confessed  with  a. 
burning  flush ;  "  but 

"Well?" 

"  I  know  I  should  feel  mean  and  sorry  afterwards 
if  I  should  do  anything  out  of  a  spirit  of  revenge; 
it  isn't  quite  the  right  way  to  treat  an  enemy,  you 
know,".  Margaret  returned  with  downcast  eyes. 

Louis  experienced  a  sudden  inward  shock  at  her 
words.  In  his  ardor  to  espouse  her  cause  and  see  jus- 
tice dcr_e  her, he  had  forgotten  his  own  rule  of  life  for 
the  time  being.  He  also  had  been  taught  to  return 
good  for  evil;  to  bless  them  that  persecute;  and  he 
also  now  flushed  crimson  under  the  gentle  rebuke. 

"I  understand,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone.  "  I  kno\v 
that  what  you  want  to  do  is  right,  and  you  will  i'cel 
better  for  giving  Miss  Ashton  a  chance.  But  a  fel- 
low hates  to  see  a  girl  abused  as  you  have  been,  and 
it  almost  makes  me  feel  like  a  sneak  to  know  about 
this  ard  let  you  bear  blame  that  doesn't  belong  to  you. 
All  the  same,  I'll  promise  not  to  say  anything  about 
it  if  you  wish  me  to." 

"  Thank  you  ever  so  much ;  and  now  let  me  tell 
you  it  has  done  me  a  great  deal  of  good  to  have  this 
little  talk  with  you,  and " 


The  boy  and  girl  both  started  violently  as   Professor  Allyn's  cold, 
grave  tones  fell  upon  their  cars.  Page  165 


STEP  BY   STEP  165 

"  What  is  this  you  are  promising  not  to  tell,  Ar- 
nold ?  Ah !  I  will  take  that  book  if  you  please." 

The  boy  and  girl  both  started  violently  as  Pro- 
fessor Allyn's  cold,  grave  tones  fell  upon  their  ears. 
They  had  been  standing  by  an  open  window  looking 
out  upon  the  street,  and  had  been  so  absorbed  in  their 
confidential  talk  they  had  not  observed  the  man's 
approach  until  he  was  close  beside  them. 

Both  colored  consciously  at  his  question  and  de- 
mand; but,  in  his  loyalty  to  Margaret,  Louis'  hand 
closed  involuntarily  over  the  key  as  he  glanced  in- 
quiringly at  her  to  ascertain  if  he  should  give  it  up. 

"  The  book,  Arnold !  "  the  principal  reiterated 
authoritatively,  and  the  young  man  reluctantly  re- 
linquished it  to  him,  yet  with  a  secret  hope  that  he 
also  would  discover  the  truth. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  this  key  ?  "  Pro- 
fessor Allyn  demanded,  as  he  searched  the  boy's  face 
with  his  keen  eyes. 

"  I — I  never  saw  it  until  this  morning,  sir,"  Louis 
replied  evasively. 

"  Miss  Lawrence  has  also  made  the  same  state- 
ment," the  principal  dryly  observed ;  "  but  do  either 
of  you  know  to  whom  it  belongs  ?  " 

Both  were  silent  and  greatly  embarrassed. 

Louis  had  promised  Margaret  that  he  would  not 
give  away  what  he  knew,  yet  he  was  just  aching  to 
do  so ;  while  the  young  girl  was  in  an  agony  of  fear 
lost  her  plan  for  returning  good  for  evil  should  come 
to  nought. 

"  Arnold,  do  you  know  ?  "  persisted  his  teacher. 


i66  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  Y — es,  sir ;  but  I  have  just  promised  Miss  Law- 
rence that  I  would  not  tell,"  was  the  reluctant  reply. 

"  Very  well  " — sharply — "  I  will  not  compel  you 
to  break  your  word ;  but  this  is  a  very  serious  matter 
and  must  be  thoroughly  sifted;  and  I  insist,  Miss 
Lawrence,  that  you  tell  me  to  whom  this  key  belongs 
—ah!" 

From  force  of  habit  the  man  had  opened  the  book 
to  glance  at  the  fly  leaf,  and  there  lay  the  square  of 
tissue  paper  which  Louis  had  carefully  placed  inside 
the  cover  after  showing  it  to  his  companion. 

Professor  Allyn  examined  it  critically,  but  at  first 
making  nothing  of  it,  he  also  held  it  up  to  the  light 
and  then  spelled  out  the  name  "  Robert  G.  Ashton." 

He  gazed  in  perplexity  first  at  Louis  then  at 
Margaret,  as  he  began  to  comprehend  the  situation; 
then  the  whole  plot  suddenly  flashed  upon  his 
mind. 

He  had  known  that  Josephine  Ashton  had  been 
very  jealous  of  Margaret — knew  that  she  had  easily 
borne  off  the  laurels  of  the  class  until  this  young 
girl  appeared  upon  the  scene  to  take  the  lead,  when 
she  had  betrayed  an  intolerance,  a  petty  spite  which 
had  both  pained  and  surprised  him.  Now  he  was 
appalled  as  he  began  to  see  through  the  plot  to  injure 
an  innocent  classmate,  and  he  regretted  more  than 
ever  having  made  the  affair  so  public.  Now  there 
were  two  involved  and,  in  order  to  do  full  justice  to 
Margaret,  he  would  be  obliged  to  make  just  as  open 
an  example  of  Josephine  as  he  had  made  of  Mar- 
garet; whereas,  if  he  had  taken  more  time  to  con- 


STEP  BY   STEP  ibj 

sider,  all  might  have  been  quietly  settled  between 
himself  and  the  two  girls. 

"  I  understand,"  he  said  sadly,  after  taking  this 
bird's-eye  view  of  the  situation.  "  But  why  did  you 
wish  Arnold  to  promise  not  to  reveal  what  you  had 
discovered?  What  were  you  intending  to  do  about 
this  disgraceful  affair  ?  "  he  inquired  of  Margaret. 

She  saw  that  the  secret  was  out  and  there  would  be 
nothing  gained  by  trying  to  conceal  anything;  that 
it  would  be  better  to  frankly  explain  her  attitude  to 
him. 

"  Miss  Ashton  has  appeared  to  dislike  me  ever 
since  I  entered  the  school,"  she  began ;  "  but  I  like 
to  be  friendly  with  all  my  classmates.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve she  stopped  to  think  what  a  dreadful  thing  she 
was  doing  when  she  put  the  key  in  my  desk — for,  of 
course,  after  finding  her  brother's  name  in  it,  we 
know  she  must  have  done  it — and  I  thought  if  I 
quietly  returned  the  book  to  her,  without  making 
any  fuss  about  it,  she  would  know  I  wished  to  be 
kind  and  considerate,  and  so  might  perhaps  be  will- 
ing to  set  me  right,  at  least  with  you ' 

"  And  you  were  going  to  trust  to  her  honor  to  do 
this,  after  suffering  such  a  wrong  at  her  hands !  " 
interposed  Professor  Allyn,  his  face  glowing  with 
his  admiration  for  the  high-minded  girl,  while  Louis' 
eyes  plainly  expressed  his  appreciation  of  her  beau- 
tiful spirit. 

"  Sometimes  it  is  better  to  trust  people  than  to 
condemn  them,"  said  Margaret  thoughtfully,  "  any- 
how I  was  willing  to  try  it." 


i68  STEP  BY   STEP 

"Even  to  the  utter  sacrifice  of  self!  for,  once 
having  relinquished  this  bit  of  paper  and  with  Ar- 
nold pledged  to  secrecy,  you  would  have  no  proof 
of  your  innocence,"  said  the  Principal,  and  won- 
dering if  she  had  thought  of  this. 

"I  know,"  said  the  girl,  flushing;  "but — if  one 
could  win  a  friend " 

"  But  Miss  Ashton  could  never  be  your  friend 
without  first  doing  you  full  justice,"  interposed  her 
teacher. 

Margaret's  eyes  were  luminous  as  she  lifted  them 
to  his. 

"  Of  course  I  know  she  can  never  be  happy 
until  she  does  right,"  she  gently  replied ;  "  but  if 
she  could  be  helped  on  the  way  it  would  be  a — a 
double  conquest,  wouldn't  it  ?  " 

Professor  Allyn  reached  down  and  clasped  the 
girl's  hand. 

"  Miss  Lawrence — Margaret,"  he  said  with  evi- 
dent emotion,  "  I  have  no  words  to  express  my  ap- 
preciation of  such  self-abnegation;  but" — in  a 
positive  tone — "  justice  will  not  allow  me  to  aid  and 
abet  you  to  quite  the  extent  you  desire.  I  will  gladly 
help  you  to  win  your  friend  and  Miss  Ashton  to  do 
right;  but  you  must  be  vindicated  before  the  class. 
I  will,  however,  think  the  matter  over  more  at  length 
before  taking  any  action.  Meantime  you  may  solace 
yourself  by  knowing  that  you  have  my  unbounded 
admiration  and  esteem.  God  bless  you,  my  girl !  " 

He  turned  away,  deeply  moved,  taking  the  key 
with  him,  while  Margaret  and  Louis  smiled  into  each 


STEP  BY   STEP  169 

other's  eyes  with  mutual  satisfaction,  in  view  of  the 
promising  outlook  for  the  future. 

"  By  Jingo !  I  didn't  think  there  was  another 
woman  in  the  world  quite  like  Aunt  Martha ;  but  her 
mother  must  come  pretty  near  up  to  her  mark,"  quoth 
Louis  to  himself  as,  at  the  ringing  of  the  bell,  he 
went  back  to  his  own  seat. 

Before  the  session  closed  there  was  laid  upon 
Josephine  Ashton's  desk  a  note  in  which  she  was 
asked  to  remain  for  a  few  minutes  after  the  class 
was  dismissed. 

Without  a  suspicion  of  what  was  in  store  for  her 
she  sat  quietly  in  her  seat  until  the  room  was  empty 
and  Professor  Allyn  came  to  her. 

He  laid  the  bit  of  paper  with  the  faint  imprint 
of  her  brother's  name  upon  it  before  her,  then  placed 
the  key  beside  it. 

"  That  slip  of  paper  I  found  in  this  book,  during 
recess,  after  taking  it  from  Miss  Lawrence ;  and  there 
is  but  one  inference  to  be  drawn  from  the  fact,"  he 
said  gravel;  ;  then  went  on  to  tell  her  of  his  conver- 
sation with.  Margaret  and  of  her  wish  that  Jo- 
sephine's agency  in  the  matter  should  not  be  made 
known  to  the  class. 

"  But,"  he  continued,  "  Miss  Lawrence  must  be 
exonerated.  She  is  resting  under  a  stigma  in  the 
estimation  of  the  class  and  this  must  be  removed  at 
once.  Now,  Josephine,  what  will  you  do  about  the 
matter  ?  " 

The  girl  remained,  after  the  first  shock  of  sur- 
prise, sullenly  silent  while  he  was  talking;  but  now, 


170  STEP   BY   STEP 

at  his  appeal,  she  threw  back  her  head  with  a 
haughtily  defiant  air. 

"  Nothing,"  she  said  through  her  tightly-locked 
teeth.  "  And  no  one  can  prove  that  I  put  that  book 
in  her  desk." 

"  I  admit  that  no  one  saw  you  do  it,"  coldly  re- 
joined her  teacher,  "  and  possibly  the  evidence  would 
not  be  sufficient  to  convict  you  before  a  judge  and 
jury;  but,  taking  all  the  circumstances  into  consid- 
eration, to  me  there  is  proof  positive  that  you  did  so." 

He  paused  a  moment,  then  added  with  deep  feel- 
ing :  "  Josephine,  don't  let  this  stain  rest  upon  your 
conscience.  You  alone  will  be  the  sufferer  if  you  re- 
fuse to  right  this  wrong,  and  all  your  life  you  will 
regret  it.  This  is  all  I  have  to  say  about  the  matter, 
except  that  in  deference  to  Miss  Lawrence's  request 
I  shall  call  no  names  when  I  explain  it  to  the  class 
to-morrow  morning.  Here  is  your  book,"  he  con- 
cluded, putting  the  bit  of  paper  inside  and  pushing 
it  toward  her. 

"  It  isn't  my  book,"  cried  the  girl,  springing  to  her 
feet,  her  face  aflame  with  passion,  as  she  shoved  the 
obnoxious  key  farther  away. 

"  Pardon  me ;  I  stand  corrected.  I  will  mail  it  to 
your  brother,"  said  Professor  Allyn  with  icy  polite- 
ness as  he  made  a  move  to  recover  it. 

With  a  look  that  would  have  annihilated  him  had 
it  possessed  the  power,  Josephine  snatched  it  almost 
from  his  grasp  and  dashed  blindly  from  the  room. 

But  she  was  promptly  back  in  her  ?eat  the  next 
morning,  and,  to  all  appearance,  serenely  unconscious 


STEP  BY   STEP  17 1 

that  anything  of  more  than  usual  import  was  pend- 
ing, listening  with  stoical  calmness  while  Professor 
Allyn  briefly  stated  that  the  key  found  in  Miss  Law- 
rence's desk  the  previous  day  did  not  belong  to  Mar- 
garet, and  had  never  been  used  by  her.  This  had  been 
satisfactorily  proven  to  him,  but,  for  good  and  suffi- 
cient reasons,  he  should  not  discuss  the  matter  further 
—it  was  to  be  dropped,  but  Miss  Lawrence  was  fully 
exonerated  and  was  to  be  so  regarded  by  the  class. 

After  school  was  over  Margaret  was  besieged  by 
numerous  questions  regarding  the  affair,  but  to  all 
she  gave  evasive  answers,  making  light  of  it  and 
saying  that  since  she  had  been  set  right  the  sooner 
it  was  forgotten  the  better  it  would  please  her. 


172  STEP   BY   STEP 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THBEE  weeks  later  Louis  received  a  voluminous 
letter  from  Aunt  Martha,  a  missive  which  he  devoured 
with  avidity,  and  which  contained  some  very  inter- 
esting news  that  both  pleased  and  surprised  him. 

First,  Miss  Wellington's  brother-in-law  had  mar- 
ried again — a  kind,  capable  woman  who  would  make 
a  good  mother  to  the  children  for  whom  Aunt  Martha 
had  been  caring  during  the  last  five  years;  and  she 
feH  that  she  could  resign  her  duties  with  the  com- 
forting assurance  that  all  would  go  well  with  them. 

Second,  almost  immediately  following  the  wed- 
ding she  had  been  engaged  as  attendant  and  com- 
panion to  a  lady  who  had  recently  come  to  Colorado 
for  her  health.  The  husband  of  her  charge  could 
not  be  with  his  wife  much  of  the  time,  because  of 
the  demands  of  business,  hence  for  some  time  he 
had  been  seeking  a  responsible  person  who  would 
not  only  give  her  proper  care,  but  who  would  also 
be  congenial  and  make  her  enforced  absence  from 
home  as  pleasant  as  possible. 

"  They  are  wealthy  people,"  Miss  Wellington 
wrote,  "  and  I  find  my  position  very  agreeable  since 
I  have  many  privileges  and  luxuries  such  as  I  have 
never  enjoyed  before.  The  name  of  the  family  is 
Sherburne.  They  have  a  beautiful  home  in  Chicago, 


STEP   BY   STEP  173 

but  seem  to  be  very  much  alone  in  the  world,  having 
no  children  or  relatives  excepting  Mrs.  Sherburne's 
only  sister,  who,  strangely  enough,  lives  in  your 
town.  Her  name  is  Ashton,  and  she  has  a  son  and 
a  daughter,  Robert  and  Josephine — possibly  you  may 
know  them.  I  have  told  Mrs.  Sherburne  something 
about  i  my  boy/  and  she  has  seemed  interested  in 
you,  and  has  said  '  when  we  go  home  he  shall  come 
to  visit  you ;  '  which  has  made  me  very  happy,  for  I 
am  yearning  for  one  of  our  heart-to-heart  talks,  and 
I  am  sure  I  shall  find  that  my  Louis  has  tried  faith- 
fully to  live  up  to  the  standard  we  set  ourselves  in 
those  old  days  in  New  Hampshire.  Your  letters 
tell  me  that,  and  so  give  me  great  joy." 

There  was  much  more,  but  the  items  recorded 
were  especially  interesting  to  Louis,  who  thought 
it  very  queer  that  Aunt  Martha  should  have  stepped 
right  into  a  position  with  relatives  of  the  Ashtons. 
He  learned  later  that  the  Sherburnes  used  to  come 
East  every  summer  for  a  visit,  but  during  the  last 
five  years  Mrs.  Sherburne  had  not  been  allowed  by 
her  physician  to  take  the  trip;  instead  she  was  or- 
dered farther  West. 

Louis  heard  from  his  friend  frequently  after  this 
change,  for  she  had  more  time  to  herself  and,  as 
she  was  in  a  position  where  she  saw  more  of  life, 
her  letters  were  full  of  interest,  and  contained  much 
sound  advice  and  loving  counsel.  Finally  there 
came  a  missive  telling  him  that  Mrs.  Sherburne 
"  was  gone  "  and  that  Miss  Wentworth  had,  at  Mr. 
Sherburne's  earnest  request,  come  to  Chicago  to  take 


174  STEP  BY  STEP 

charge  of  his  home ;  and  as  they  were  now  so  much 
nearer  each  other,  there  was  a  possibility  that  they 
might  occasionally  meet. 

So  the  weeks  and  months  slipped  away ;  the  Christ- 
mas holidays  and  vacation  passed;  Spring  opened 
and  the  Easter  recess  came  around,  during  which 
Nellie  Evarts  made  a  house  party,  inviting  five  of 
her  girl  friends  to  spend  a  week  with  her ;  and  Mar- 
garet Lawrence,  who  had  become  her  dear  "  familiar 
spirit,"  was  included  among  the  number. 

Something  delightful  was  planned  for  every  day, 
and  there  was  to  be  a  grand  finale  or  class  reunion 
the  last  evening  of  their  visit,  when  they  were  to 
have  an  orchestra  for  the  dancing,  refreshments 
served  by  a  Boston  caterer,  and  last,  but  by  no  means 
least,  a  grand  display  of  brand-new  party  dresses. 

They  were  six  merry  maidens  during  that  never- 
to-be-forgotten  week.  The  Evartses  lived  in  a  fine 
spacious  residence  on  the  "  swell  "  side  of  the  river, 
and  there  was,  at  the  top  of  the  house,  a  great  bil- 
liard-room which  was  the  favorite  resort  of  the 
sextet,  for  there  they  could  get  away  from  everyone 
else  and  chatter  to  their  hearts'  content  without  fear 
of  being  overheard.  There  were  horses  and  car- 
riages in  the  stable,  and  every  fine  •morning  the 
gay  little  party  went  spinning  over  the  smooth 
country  roads  for  a  drive.  There  were  also  visits  to 
various  points  of  interest  in  and  around  Boston,  in- 
terspersed with  a  couple  of  high-class  matinees,  which 
latter  were  an  especial  delight  to  all. 

One    afternoon — it    was    like    a    summer    day — 


STEP   BY   STEP  175 

Nellie  proposed  a  tramp  to  a  certain  pine  grove 
about  half  a  mile  from  her  home,  and  suggested  that 
they  take  lunch  baskets  along  and  picnic  in  the  woods. 
As  Mrs.  Evarts  was  very  busy  with  preparations  for 
the  reunion,  Nellie  offered  to  take  her  two  younger 
sisters  with  her  and  her  friends,  much  to  the  joy 
of  the  little  folks,  and  so  made  quite  a  party.  The 
grove  which  they  visited  commanded  a  fine  view 
of  the  river  and  the  surrounding  country.  It  also 
lay  very  near  the  railroad,  and  just  at  the  foot  of  a 
rise  of  ground  there  was  a  grade-crossing  which 
had  recently  been  pronounced  dangerous,  and  was, 
within  a  few  weeks,  to  be  raised  to  allow  the  trains 
to  pass  underneath  and  thus  avert  possible  acci- 
dents. 

The  afternoon  passed  very  quickly  and  pleasantly, 
the  children  hunting  for  cones,  mosses,  and  other 
woodland  treasures,  while  the  six  girls  discussed 
various  interesting  matters,  prominent  among  which 
was  the  beginning  of  school  the  following  week — 
their  last  term  in  "  dear  old  High  " — the  approach- 
ing graduation  and  plans  for  the  summer  vacation, 
after  which  there  would  be  a  scattering  to  different 
colleges  or  finishing  schools  not  yet  decided  upon. 

At  half-past  four  lunch  was  served,  and  they  were 
just  in  the  midst  of  this  when  their  attention  was 
attracted  by  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs,  and  pres- 
ently they  saw  Josephine  Ashton's  pretty  pony-team 
coming  down  the  hill  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
railway. 

She  pulled  up  as  she  drew  near  the  crossing  which 


176  STEP  BY  STEP 

ran  so  obliquely  across  the  road  as  to  make  great 
care  necessary  in  driving  over  it. 

Mr.  Ashton  had  often  cautioned  his  daughter  to 
be  watchful  of  such  places  or  she  would  be  liable  to 
get  into  trouble,  and  usually  she  was  very  careful ; 
but  this  time,  for  some  reason,  she  failed  to  guide 
her  team  aright  and  trouble  did  come. 

The  girls  in  the  grove  suddenly  heard  her  cry  out 
an  imperative  "  Whoa !  "  in  a  shrill  voice  of  fear, 
whereupon  her  gentle  ponies,  trained  to  perfect 
obedience,  came  to  a  stop  almost  instantly,  but  with 
the  trap  tilted  to  one  side.  Then  they  saw  Josephine 
leap  to  her  feet  in  the  carriage  and  look  anxiously 
up  and  down  the  road,  as  if  searching  for  some  one 
by  the  wayside  to  whom  she  could  appeal  for  help. 

"  What  can  be  the  matter  ?  "  cried  Nellie,  rising 
from  the  log  where  she  had  been  sitting,  to  get  a 
better  view. 

"  It  looks  to  me  as  if  one  of  the  wheels  was  caught 
between  a  plank  and  the  rail,"  said  Margaret,  who 
had  herself  been  well  trained  in  the  art  of  driving, 
once  upon  a  time. 

"  Oh,  that  is  a  bad  fix !  Do  you  suppose  we  could 
help  her  out  of  it  ? "  anxiously  inquired  Alice  Well- 
man. 

"  No,"  replied  Margaret;  "  it  would  take  a  strong 
man  to  lift  that  trap  and  release  the  wheel.  If  only 
a  team  would  come  along — or  if  there  was  a  house 
near  by  where  we  could  go  for  help !  But  hark !  oh, 
girls! — isn't  that  the  five  o'clock  train  up  at  the 
West  station  ? "  she  concluded  breathlessly,  as  a 


STEP   BY   STEP  177 

sharp,  shrill  whistle,  warning  whoever  it  might  con- 
cern to  clear  the  track,  fell  on  their  ears. 

"Yes,  it  is — it  is!  What  will  Josephine  do?" 
panted  Nellie  excitedly,  while  Miss  Ashton  herself, 
having  caught  the  appalling  sound,  fell  to  screaming 
for  help  at  the  top  of  her  lungs  and  wringing  her 
hands  in  the  most  frantic  manner,  for  she  well  knew 
that  if  no  one  came  to  her  assistance  her  lovely 
carriage  would  be  dashed  to  pieces  and  her  beautiful 
ponies  killed,  or  frightened  to  death,  before  another 
five  minutes  elapsed.  She  did  not  even  seem  to 
have  presence  of  mind  enough  to  get  out  of  the  trap, 
and  so  was  in  imminent  danger  herself. 

"Something  must  be  done  quickly!"  Margaret 
exclaimed;  and,  springing  to  her  feet,  she  darted 
out  from  the  grove,  speeding  down  toward  the  cross- 
ing as  if  those  little  members  had  been  shod  with 
wings. 

"  Get  out !  "  she  cried  as  she  drew  near  the  fright- 
ened girl.  "  Get  out  of  the  trap,  Miss  Ashton,  and 
take  the  reins  with  you." 

This  order  was  given  because  she  saw  the  horses 
were  becoming  restless  and  nervous,  and  she  feared 
they  might  start  to  run  and  so  get  beyond  control. 

Josephine,  brought  somewhat  to  her  senses  by  the 
sound  of  a  human  voice,  instantly  leaped  to  the 
ground,  but  heedlesly  leaving  the  lines  hanging  over 
the  dashboard.  Margaret,  however,  who  was  now 
close  upon  the  scene,  seized  and  had  them  knotted 
in  a  trice,  throwing  them  lightly  over  the  ponies' 
backs,  speaking  peremptorily  yet  reassuringly  to  the 


178  STEP  BY  STEP 

restive  animals  as  she  did  so.  Then  she  sprang  for 
a  tug. 

''  Come,"  she  called  out  anxiously  to  Josephine, 
"  you  must  help  me — quick ! — unhitch  those  other 
traces ! — we  must  free  the  horses  at  once !  " 

But  the  girl  was  absolutely  helpless.  She  could 
hear  the  train  steaming  steadily  toward  them,  al- 
though it  was  not  yet  in  sight,  and,  almost  frantic 
from  terror,  she  was  unable  to  do  aught  but  wring 
her  hands  and  sob  that  her  ponies  would  be  killed. 

But  Margaret,  with  nimble  fingers,  soon  had  the 
harness  released  on  her  side,  then  darted  like  a  flash 
to  the  other  just  as  the  locomotive  rolled  into  view 
around  a  near-by  curve  in  the  road. 

How  she  accomplished  the  remainder  of  her  task 
she  never  could  tell  afterward;  it  was  all  like  an 
illusive  dream  to  her  as,  the  traces  once  free,  she 
sprang  to  the  horses'  heads,  grasped  their  bridles 
firmly  with  one  hand,  freeing  the  neck  yoke  witli  a 
single  sweep  of  the  other,  when,  with  a  gently  spoken 
command,  she  started  them  forward  and  led  them 
safely  out  of  harm's  way,  at  the  same  time  cheerily 
encouraging  and  soothing  them,  but  seeing,  with 
quaking  heart  and  failing  vision,  only  that  givut, 
black,  looming  monster  that  was  almost  upon  her. 

The  next  instant,  in  spite  of  the  ringing  in  her 
ears,  she  heard  a  crash,  then  confused  commands 
mingled  with  frightened  voices  and  the  shuffling  of 
hurrying  feet.  And  she  knew  the  pretty  trap  had 
come  to  grief. 

The  engineer  had  espied  the  danger  ahead  im- 


STEP  BY   STEP  179 

mediately  upon  rounding  the  bend  and  instantly 
reversed  his  engine;  thus,  as  he  never  ran  at  great 
speed  between  the  East  and  the  West  stations — they 
being  only  a  mile  apart — the  force  of  the  collision 
was  only  sufficient  to  overturn  the  trap,  wrenching 
off  the  imprisoned  wheel  and  breaking  the  pole. 
~No  other  damage  was  done  save  that  of  throwing 
the  passengers  into  a  temporary  excitement  and  de- 
laying the  train  for  a  few  minutes,  while  the  acci- 
dent was  investigated  and  the  trainmen  removed 
the  obstacles  from  the  track. 

Meantime,  Josephine  had  thrown  herself  prone 
upon  the  ground  by  the  roadside,  thrust  her  fingers 
into  her  ears  and  buried  her  face  in  the  grass,  to 
shut  out  the  sight  and  sound  of  what  she  believed 
would  be  a  horrible  tragedy.  Here  Nellie  Evarts 
and  her  friends  found  her  when  they  arrived  upon 
the  scene,  and  tried  to  calm  and  reassure  her;  but 
this  was  not  an  easy  task,  for  she  was  completely 
unnerved  and  nearly  crazed  with  fear. 

Among  the  passengers  who  alighted  from  the  train 
to  ascertain  what  had  happened  were  two  young 
men  who  had  been  to  a  neighboring  town  to  witness 
a  ball  game.  One  of  them,  after  ascertaining  the 
cause  of  the  delay,  caught  sight  of  Margaret,  who 
was  still  caring  for  the  ponies,  and  with  a  few  flying 
leaps  was  beside  her,  an  anxious  look  on  his  fine 
face  as  he  began  to  comprehend  something  of  the 
situation  and  the  part  she  had  borne  in  it. 

The  girl  was  almost  spent  from  her  heroic  efforts, 
now  that  all  danger  was  past,  and  was  beginning 


i8o  STEP  BY   STEP 

to  feel  that  her  strength  would  not  endure  the  strain 
much  longer,  when  she  suddenly  felt  a  firm  hand 
laid  upon  the  bridle  above  each  of  her  own,  while 
a  familiar  voice  observed,  with  calm  assurance: 

"  It  is  all  right,  Miss  Lawrence.  I  have  them 
well  in  hand  now,"  and  she  lifted  her  drooping  head 
to  find  herself  looking  into  the  clear,  earnest,  brown 
eyes  of  Louis  Arnold. 

"  Oh !  how  glad  I  am !  It  seemed  as  if  I  could 
not  hold  them  a  moment  longer,"  she  breathed  in 
a  weak  voice,  while  he  could  see  that  she  was  trem- 
bling from  head  to  foot. 

"  Well,  then,  you  may  let  go  now,"  he  said,  smil- 
ing archly  down  upon  her,  for  she  still  unconsciously 
retained  an  almost  convulsive  grasp  upon  the  bridles. 

She  gave  a  little  nervous  laugh,  and  her  arms 
dropped  limply  by  her  side. 

"  Oh,  it  was  frightful !  "  she  said,  with  a  deeply 
drawn  sigh.  "  I  thought  I  never  would  get  the 
ponies  free  from  the  trap — it  would  have  been 
dreadful  if  they  had  been  killed  or  hopelessly 
maimed." 

"  How  about  yourself  ?  What  if  you  had  been 
killed  or  maimed  ?  "  Louis  questioned  rather  shortly, 
as  he  led  the  horses  to  a  near-by  tree  where  he  fastened 
them  securely. 

And  Margaret  laughed  as  she  saw  his  point. 

"  I  don't  think  that  occurred  to  me,"  she  said. 

"  It  is  Josephine  Ashton's  team,  isn't  it  ?  "  Louis 
inquired,  while  he  searched  her  still  white  face 
solicitously. 


STEP  BY  STEP  181 

"  Yes,  and  I  hope  that  pretty  trap  is  not  very 
badly  smashed,"  Margaret  observed,  glancing  over 
her  shoulder  at  the  wreck,  and  beginning  to  feel  a 
little  more  like  herself. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  it  is  or  not,"  Louis  re- 
joined somewhat  indifferently.  "  That  didn't  in- 
terest me  at  all  after  I  caught  sight  of  you  and 
comprehended  what  you  had  done.  How-  did  you 
know  what  to  do  to  free  the  horses  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  used  to  have  a  pony  and  a  dogcart  when 
papa  was  here,  and  sometimes  I  helped  the  man 
harness  just  for  fun.  Besides,  I've  often  watched 
him  take  the  pair  out,"  Margaret  explained. 

"  Well,  it  was  a  big  thing  for  you  to  do  under 
the  circumstances;  and  it  was  a  very  narrow  escape 
for  you  as  well  as  for  the  horses,"  Louis  observed 
with  clouded  eyes.  "  Do  you  feel  all  right  now  ?  " 
he  added  with  evident  concern. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  only  I  can't  keep  quite  still  yet,"  she 
said,  holding  out  a  hand  that  was  far  from  steady. 
"  But,"  she  added  naively,  "  the  moment  I  heard 
your  voice  I  felt  as  if  everything  would  be  all 
right." 

Louis  colored  slightly  at  this,  then  smiled  his 
pleasure  as  he  said  softly :  "  Thank  you,  Margaret." 

"  I  wonder  where  Miss  Ashton  is,"  she  presently 
observed ;  "  suppose  we  look  for  her  ?  " 

They  walked  slowly  back  over  the  crossing  to- 
gether— the  train  having  gone  on — and  soon  came 
upon  Nellie  and  her  party  gathered  in  friendly  con- 
cern around  Josephine,  who  was  now  sitting  up,  sup- 


182  STEP   BY   STEP 

ported  by  one  of  the  girls,  but  still  weeping  nerv- 
ously. 

"  Was  she  hurt  ?  "  Margaret  inquired  of  one  of 
her  friends. 

"  No,  only  terribly  frightened  and  shocked,"  was 
the  reply. 

"  Well,  it  was  enough  to  frighten  anybody,"  said 
Margaret  sympathetically;  "but,  Miss  Ash  ton  " — 
approaching  the  sobbing  girl — "  the  ponies  are  all 
right.  They  haven't  even  a  scratch.  I  am  sorry 
about  the  carriage,  though,"  she  added  regretfully. 
"  I  wish  that  might  have  escaped,  too — it  was  such 
a  pretty  trap ;  but  perhaps  it  can  be  easily  repaired," 
she  concluded  hopefully. 

As  she  ceased  speaking  Josephine  glanced  up  at 
her,  gave  her  one  swift,  indescribable  look,  then  fell 
to  crying  harder  than  ever,  and  Margaret,  with  a 
pained  expression  on  her  lovely  face,  slipped  away 
and  returned  to  the  grove  to  gather  up  the  fragments 
of  the  interrupted  lunch  and  repack  the  baskets  pre- 
paratory to  going  home. 

Louis  Arnold,  with  a  look  of  lofty  scorn  in  his 
fine  eyes,  and  curling  his  lips,  followed,  deftly  as- 
sisting her,  after  which  he  quietly  took  possession 
of  the  receptacles,  saying  he  would  be  burden-bearer 
for  the  party  on  their  return  to  town. 

Meantime  a  carriage  had  come  along,  the  owner 
of  which,  after  learning  of  the  accident,  offered  to 
take  Miss  Ashton  and  her  ponies  home — a  kindness 
which  the  girl  eagerly  accepted. 


STEP  BY   STEP  183 

The  ponies  were  fastened  to  the  back  of  the  vehicle, 
while  Josephine  was  assisted  into  it,  and,  as  they 
drove  away,  the  curious  spectators  dispersed,  leaving 
the  place  deserted,  nothing  save  the  shattered  trap 
remaining  to  tell  the  story  of  the  recent  mishap. 


184  STEP  BY   STEP 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

DURING  the  evening  of  the  same  day  on  which  the 
accident  to  Josephine  Ashton's  carriage  occurred, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ashton  drove  over  to  the  home  of 
the  Evarts  to  call  upon  Margaret  and  to  express 
their  gratitude  to  her  for  the  heroism  she  had  mani- 
fested in  rescuing  their  daughter's  ponies  and,  as 
they  believed,  for  saving  her  own  life  also. 

Evidently  Josephine  had  given  them  a  detailed 
account  of  what  had  happened,  while  they  had  also 
heard  much  from  other  sources,  for  news  of  the  in- 
cident had  spread  like  wildfire  and  was  being  talked 
over  everywhere  in  the  town;  thus  they  seemed  to 
fully  realize  their  obligation  to  Margaret. 

So  much  was  said  during  their  call  in  praise  of 
what  she  had  done  that  Margaret  was  beginning  to 
feel  greatly  embarrassed  and  to  wish  that  she  might 
make  her  escape  from  the  company,  when  Nellie's 
youngest  sister,  who,  with  wide  eyes  and  eager  ears, 
had  been  taking  it  all  in,  piped  up  in  her  shrill,  pen- 
etrating little  voice :  "  I  guess,  Miss  Lawrence,  you 
must  be  a — a  heroess  now." 

This  naive  observation  and  the  general  laugh  that 
followed  turned  attention  from  Margaret  to  the 
smaller  maiden,  who  was  asked  to  define  a 
"  heroess,"  and  after  this  the  conversation  gradu- 


STEP   BY  STEP  185 

ally  became  more  general  and  the  modest  heroine 
was  allowed  to  rest  upon  her  laurels. 

This  was  on  Saturday.  On  Sunday  morning  just 
before  church  time  there  came  a  box  of  beautiful 
roses  and  a  basket  of  luscious  fruit  for  Miss  Law- 
rence, and  these  were  accompanied  by  a  kind  note 
from  Mrs.  Ashton;  but  not  one  word  from  Joseph- 
ine. 

Mrs.  Ashton  wrote  that  her  daughter  was  not  feel- 
ing well  and  was  keeping  her  room;  hence  she  was 
writing  to  inquire  if  Margaret  had  experienced  any 
ill  effects  from  the  previous  day's  excitement.  She 
hoped  Josephine  would  be  better  to-morrow  and 
able  to  come  to  thank  her  in  person,  but  the  girl 
seemed  prostrated  and  might  even  be  obliged  to  miss 
the  class  reunion  on  Tuesday  evening.  Would  Mar- 
garet please  drop  her  a  line  to  assure  her  that  she 
was  all  right? 

"  Well,  I  just  hope  that  Josephine  Ashton  won't 
come  to  my  party,"  Nellie  spiritedly  asserted  when 
Margaret  showed  her  this  note.  "  I  should  think  she 
would  be  ashamed  of  herself  not  to  send  you  just 
a  word  of  acknowledgment,  even  if  she  is  sick  in 
bed.  I  don't  understand  it !  " 

Margaret  made  no  reply  to  this  indignant  out- 
burst. She  thought  she  understood  Josephine's 
silence,  and  she  secretly  admitted  that  she  herself 
would  better  enjoy  the  prospective  festivities  if  she 
remained  away.  Monday  passed  and  still  she  heard 
nothing  from  her  classmate,  and  finally  concluded 
that,  since  what  had  occurred  on  Saturday  had  no 


1 86  STEP   BY   STEP 

power  to  move  her,  the  old  feud  would  never  be 
settled — they  would  never  be  friends. 

Tuesday  dawned  a  perfect  day,  and  at  an  early 
hour  the  Evarts  mansion  and  surrounding  grounds 
began  to  be  the  scene  of  considerable  bustle  and  ex- 
citement. 

The  broad  verandas  on  two  sides  of  the  house 
were  enclosed  with  canvas  and  decorated  with  ever- 
greens and  beautiful  Chinese  lanterns,  which  were 
also  profusely  festooned  among  the  trees  on  the  lawn. 
There  were  flowers  and  potted  plants  everywhere 
about  the  house  where  space  could  be  found  for 
them.  The  alcove  under  the  great  stairway  in  the 
hall  was  screened  with  laurel  to  conceal  the  orchestra 
which  was  to  discourse  sweet  music  throughout  the 
evening,  while  the  spacious  double  parlors  had  been 
cleared,  the  costly  rugs  taken  up,  and  the  floors 
waxed  for  dancing. 

Everybody  was  busy,  and  everybody  was  happy, 
"  from  early  morn  till  dewy  eve,"  as  they  shared 
in  these  delightful  preparations. 

Nellie  and  Margaret  occupied  the  same  room,  and 
when  they  finally  went  upstairs  to  don  their  pretty 
dresses,  it  was  with  a  satisfied  feeling  that  every 
room,  nook,  and  corner  were  in  perfect  order  and 
as  beautiful  as  good  taste,  the  united  efforts  of  pro- 
fessional decorators  and  many  helpers,  together  with 
a  lavish  expenditure  of  money  by  an  indulgent 
father  and  hospitable  host,  could  make  them. 

In  the  midst  of  the  delightful  occupation  of  dress- 
mg  there  came  a  rap  on  the  girls'  door. 


STEP  BY   STEP  187 

"  A  package  for  Miss  Lawrence,"  said  the  maid, 
who  passed  in  what  looked  like  a  small  box  in  an  im- 
maculate wrapper  tied  with  white  satin  ribbon. 

"  What  can  it  be  ?  "  cried  Nellie,  dancing  across 
the  room  with  it  and  waiting,  all  on  the  qui  vive, 
to  see  it  opened. 

Margaret,  no  less  curious,  hurriedly  undid  it, 
lifted  the  lid  of  the  box  to  find,  reposing  on  a  bed 
of  pale  pink  cotton,  an  exquisite  gold  locket,  set  with 
pearls,  attached  to  a  no  less  lovely  chain. 

On  the  back  of  the  locket  a  monogram,  com- 
prised of  Margaret's  initials,  had  been  engraved, 
while  within  it  there  were  places  for  the  portraits 
of  two  people. 

"  How  perfectly  beautiful !  "  exclaimed  Nellie. 
"  Who  could  have  sent  it  ? — your  brother  ?  " 

Margaret  smiled  a  trifle  sadly  and  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  it  could  not  have  been  Ted,"  she  said,  well 
knowing  that  the  dear  hard-working  fellow  could 
barely  afford  a  suitable  necktie  for  the  occasion,  let 
alone  costly  lockets  set  with  pearls. 

Presently  she  espied  an  envelope  snugly  tucked 
in  between  the  cotton  and  one  side  of  the  box. 

Drawing  forth  a  delicately  perfumed  sheet  from 
the  enclosure  she  read  the  following: 

DEAR  Miss  MAEGARET:  Please  accept  and  wear 
to-night  the  accompanying  testimonial  to  a  brave  girl 
— the  united  offering  of  my  husband  and  myself. 
Sincerely  your  friend, 

HARRIET  A.  ASHTON. 


i88  STEP   BY   STEP 

The  happy  light  suddenly  died  out  of  Margaret's 
eyes;  the  smiles  faded  from  her  lips;  a  burning 
flush  swept  over  her  face  as  she  finished  reading  this 
note. 

All  this  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ashton  and  still  not 
one  word  from  Josephine !  How  could  she  wear  the 
lovely  trinket  that  night?  It  would  be  a  continual 
reminder  of  the  enmity  of  her  classmate  and  spoil 
all  her  pleasure.  She  would  have  been  far  happier 
to  have  won  the  friendship  of,  and  been  at  peace  with, 
Josephine  than  to  have  had  a  hundred  lockets  and  a 
deluge  of  pearls  showered  upon  her. 

With  a  regretful  sigh  she  quietly  laid  the  gift 
upon  her  dressing-table  and  went  on  with  her  toilet ; 
while  Nellie,  reading  something  of  what  was  in  her 
mind,  turned  away  with  a  frown  upon  her  own  brow, 
to  look  for  a  ribbon  that  she  wanted. 

Presently  there  came  another  tap  and  two  huge, 
suggestive-looking  boxes,  one  for  "  Miss  Nellie 
Evarts,"  the  other  for  "  Miss  Margaret  Lawrence," 
were  deposited  inside  the  room. 

Both  contained  long-stemmed  roses — Nellie's 
crimson,  Margaret's  pink.  The  former  was  accom- 
panied by  a  card  bearing:  "With  compliments  of 
Charles  N.  Osgood."  The  latter  was  the  offering  of 
"  Louis  Arnold." 

This  interruption  changed  the  atmosphere  and 
both  girls  began  to  dimple  and  bubble  over  again. 

"  My !  I  begin  to  feel  like  a  regularly  grown-up 
young  lady  about  to  make  my  debut,"  cried  merry 
Nell,  holding  her  fragrant  blossoms  off  at  arm's 


STEP   BY   STEP  189 

length  in  mingled  admiration  and  delight.  "  Aren't 
they  beauties  ?  and  " — with  a  ripple  of  amusement — 
"  can't  you  just  see,  in  your  mind's  eye,  those  two 
boys  bashfully  marching  up  to  Irving's  counter  to 
give  their  order  ?  " 

'''  Well,  they  certainly  have  shown  good  taste  and 
been  very  generous  in  their  offerings,"  said  Margaret 
with  a  responsive  laugh,  yet  flushing  consciously  as 
she  bent  to  inhale  the  perfume  of  her  roses. 

"  Somebody  thinks  you  are  pretty  fine — eh,  Mar- 
garet ?  "  roguishly  observed  Nellie,  as  she  noticed 
her  rising  color. 

"  Well,  I  know  some  one  who  thinks  Charlie  Os- 
good  is  rather  above  the  average,"  Margaret  retorted 
to  cover  her  embarrassment. 

"  Who  could  help  it,  dearie  ? — such  a  nice  boy" 
was  the  demure  reply;  then,  as  their  eyes  met  in  a 
conscious  glance,  there  was  another  burst  of  silvery, 
girlish  laughter,  whereupon  both  resumed  their  in- 
terrupted dressing. 

They  looked  very  fair  and  sweet  when  they  went 
below  to  join  their  other  friends  and  receive  their 
classmates;  but  Mrs.  Ashton's  lovely  gift  to  Mar- 
garet still  lay  unheeded  in  its  box,  upstairs  on  the 
dressing-table. 

The  guests  soon  began  to  pour  in  and  the  rooms 
were  quickly  filled.  There  were  about  seventy-five 
people  present,  including  many  of  the  parents  of 
the  seniors.  Nellie,  in  looking  them  over,  found  that 
every  one  of  her  classmates  had  honored  her  invita- 
tion save  Josephine  Ashton.  She  was  wounded,  yet 


190  STEP  BY   STEP 

at  the  same  time  she  was  relieved,  for  she  had  spir- 
itedly resented  what  she  called  her  "  shabby  treat- 
ment "  of  Margaret. 

A  few  moments  before  the  time  for  refreshments 
to  be  served,  Margaret  slipped  upstairs  to  get  a  hand- 
kerchief, having  dropped  the  one  she  had  taken  down, 
with  her  and  been  unable  to  find  it ;  and  as  she  was 
about  to  enter  her  room,  she  saw  through  the  half- 
open  door  a  tall,  slim  figure  standing  by  her  dressing- 
table  in  a  drooping  attitude. 

The  figure  turned,  as  she  pushed  the  door  wider 
and  entered,  and  she  found  herself  face  to  face  with 
Josephine  Ashton! 

The  girl  was  dressed  in  white  and  much  more 
simply  than  usual;  but  Margaret  thought  she  had 
never  seen  her  look  so  lovely  before. 

She  colored  crimson  as  she  met  Margaret's  glance 
of  astonishment;  then  her  eyes  dropped  to  an  en- 
velope she  was  holding  in  one  hand,  and,  for  a 
moment,  she  seemed  uncertain  what  to  do. 

The  next,  she  threw  back  her  proud  head  with  a 
resolute  air,  and,  going  to  Margaret's  side,  drew  her 
gently  within  the  room  and  shut  the  door. 

"  I  know  I  am  intruding  and  you  must  think  it 
strange  to  find  me  here,"  she  said,  speaking  with  an 
effort,  "  but  a  servant  told  me  this  was  your  room 
and  I  came  in  to  leave  this  letter  for  you  "  — touch- 
ing the  envelope  with  one  white-gloved  finger. 

"  You  do  not  intrude,"  Margaret  gently  returned, 
but  with  quickened  heart  beats ;  "  the  guests  have 
the  freedom  of  the  whole  house  to-night." 


STEP   BY   STEP  191 

Again  Josephine  stood  irresolute  for  an  instant; 
then  suddenly  tossing  the  envelope  upon  the  dress- 
ing-table, she  swept  close  up  to  Margaret,  laid  her 
hands  upon  her  shoulders  and  looked  frankly  down 
into  her  sweet,  wondering  blue  eyes. 

"  Margaret  Lawrence,"  she  began  in  tremulous 
tones,  "  I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  it.  I  wrote 
that  letter  because  I  was  a  coward  and  thought  I 
hadn't  the  courage  to  face  you.  It  is  a  confession  of 
all  the  meanness,  the  folly,  and  the  jealousy  I  have 
been  guilty  of  toward  you  since  you  came  into  our 
class;  and  also  of  the  wretchedness  I  have  suffered 
in  consequence.  I  will  leave  it  because  I  can't  re- 
hearse it  all  again — I  should  forget  half  I  ought  to 
say.  But  I  am  very  glad  I  have  met  you  here  alone, 
for  now  I  need  not  wait  to  know  if  you  can  ever 
forgive " 

Before  she  could  complete  the  sentence  Margaret 
had  slipped  her  arms  around  the  girl's  waist  and 
drawn  her  into  a  close  embrace. 

"  Oh,  Josephine !  "  she  breathed,  her  eyes  glisten- 
ing with  inward  joy — "  if  you  could  only  know  how 
I  have  longed  to  have  you  for  my  friend!  Let  all 
the  past  go — you  do  not  need  to  say  '  forgive ' " 

"  Indeed  I  do  if  I  care  anything  about  regaining 
my  self -respect,"  Josephine  huskily  interposed ;  "  g 
tell  me — can  you  ?  will  you  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  will,  and— 

"  But  I  have  used  you  shockingly,  Margaret" 

"  Let  us  forget  it,  please." 

"  I  did  put  that  key  in  your  desk." 


192  STEP   BY   STEP 

"Yes,  I  know;  but " 

"  And  I  have  been  furiously  jealous  of  you,"  Jo- 
sephine went  on,  as  if  determined  not  to  be  forgiven 
until  she  had  uncovered  everything.  "  I  am  two 
years  older  than  you,  and  it  has  galled  me  more  than 
I  can  tell  you  to  have  you  lead  the  class." 

"  But  I  had  to  do  as  well  as  I  could,  Josephine," 
said  Margaret  apologetically. 

"  You  dear  little  saint !  you  don't  need  to  apolo- 
gize for  doing  your  level  best.  I  am  only  trying  to 
show  you  how  very  bad  I  have  been,"  rejoined  the 
penitent  girl,  with  a  catch  in  her  breath  that  was 
between  a  laugh  and  a  sob.  "  But  tell  me — why 
wouldn't  you  let  Professor  Allyn  reveal  to  the  class 
the  name  of  the  one  who  put  the  key  in  your  desk  ?  " 

"  I  couldn't — that  would  have  been  dreadful ;  and 
I  knew  it  would  only  have  made  matters  worse  be- 
tween us." 

"  There  are  precious  few  people  who  would  have 
cared  anything  about  that.  Oh,  Margaret !  "  — and 
she  was  almost  weeping  now — "  I  don't  know  what 
to  say  to  you!  I  have  cried  myself  almost  sick 
over  it  many  a  time;  yet  I  have  been  too  obstinate 
and  too  much  of  a  coward  to  confess  the  wrong. 
But  the  other  day  you  had  your  revenge 

"  Dear,  I  never  had  any  desire  to  be  revenged," 
interposed  Margaret — "  at  least,  after  the  first  flash 
of  temper  was  over,"  she  conscientiously  added. 

"  I  know  it,  and  that  has  made  my  own  position 
all  the  more  galling.  Did  you  think  it  was  all  fright 
and  grief  over  my  broken  trap  that  upset  me  so 


STEP  BY   STEP  193 

last  Saturday  ?  "  questioned  Josephine  sadly.  "  No, 
indeed ;  I  was  shamed,  humiliated,  broken-hearted, 
because  I  saw  myself  as  I  knew  others  must  see  me 
— a  proud,  selfish,  arrogant  girl,  who,  because  of 
overindulgence  at  home,  had  grown  to  think  that 
every  one  else  must  bow  before  her.  But  the  scales 
fell  from  my  eyes  after  that  accident.  There  is  no 
knowing  what  would  have  happened  to  me  if  you  had 
not  come  to  the  rescue  as  you  did;  for  I  was  para- 
lyzed with  fear.  I  absolutely  could  not  move  until 
you  spoke  to  me,  and  then  my  only  thought  was  to 
save  myself;  while  you,  utterly  regardless  of  your 
own  safety,  never  faltered  until  you  had  saved  my 
ponies  and — that  locomotive  had  almost  run  you 
down.  Ugh !  it  was  horrible !  "  and  she  shivered 
nervously  as  she  recalled  the  tragic  experience. 

"  Then,  when  you  came  to  tell  me  that  the  ponies 
hadn't  even  a  scratch,"  she  presently  resumed,  "  and 
said  how  sorry  you  were  that  you  could  not  have 
saved  the  trap  also — that  was  the  last  straw.  I  have 
been  sick  in  bed  ever  since — not  from  the  shock,  but 
because  /  hated  myself  and  believed  that  you,  Profes- 
sor Allyn,  and  I  don't  know  how  many  more  must 
feel  just  the  same  toward  me." 

"  No — no,"  Margaret  began,  but  Josephine,  giv- 
ing her  a  little  pat  on  the  shoulder,  went  right  on: 

"  I  thought  at  first  that  I  could  not  come  to  Nel- 
lie's party  to-night.  I  could  not  endure  to  meet  you. 
Then  something  told  me  to  write  to  you — to  make 
that  a  beginning  toward  something  better  in  life, 
toward  your  standard — yours  and  Louis  Arnold's," 


194  STEP  BY  STEP 

she  interpolated,  with  a  rising  flush.  "  I  have  al- 
ways admired  him,  ever  since  he  entered  the  school, 
for  nothing  could  ever  tempt  him  to  do  a  wrong 
or  mean  thing.  He  never  would  toady  to  any  one 
either,  but  treated  all  alike,  going  straight  ahead 
about  his  business,  seeming  to  know  just  what  was 
right  to  do  and — doing  it.  You  and  he  seem  to  be 
very  much  alike  in  that  respect,  and  I  suspect  that 
is  why  he  admires  you  so." 

She  bestowed  a  searching  glance  upon  Margaret 
as  she  made  the  last  observation  and  smiled  slightly 
to  see  how  the  prettily  fringed  lids  drooped  suddenly 
over  Margaret's  eyes  and  the  delicate  pink  deepened 
in  her  cheeks. 

"  So  I  wrote  my  letter,"  she  continued,  "  and 
made  up  my  mind  to  come  here  and  leave  it  for 
you,  tender  my  greetings  to  Mrs.  Ashton  and  Xellie, 
out  of  respect  for  their  invitation,  then  quietly  slip 
away  again  with  papa  and  mamma,  who  can  only  re- 
main a  little  while  because  of  another  engagement. 
I  told  mamma  the  whole  story  while  I  was  dressing, 
and  she  was  so  shocked.  She  said  she  never  would 
have  presumed  to  offer  you  a  gift  if  she  had  known 
how  badly  I  had  used  you,  for  it  must  seem  almost 
an  insult  to  you  under  the  circumstances — 

"  It  was  very  kind  of  her — the  locket  and  chain 
are  beautiful,"  interposed  Margaret  with  some  em- 
barrassment, and  wishing  now  that  she  had  them  on. 

Josephine  smiled  again.  She  had  observed  their 
absence  and  understood  why  they  had  not  graced  the 
occasion. 


STEP  BY   STEP  195 

"  But  she  was  very  nice  to  me,"  she  went  on,  not 
appearing  to  heed  Margaret's  remark.  "  We  had  a 
lovely  talk  about  it,  and  I  think  we  shall  always  feel 
nearer  each  other  because  of  it.  And  now  I  believe 
that  is  all  I  want  to  say  to-night — are  you  sure  you 
absolve  me  ?  "  she  concluded  with  brimming  eyes. 

"  With  all  my  heart,  Josephine,"  was  the  earnest 
response. 

"  Then  I  am  very  glad  I  have  seen  you  instead  of 
waiting  for  you  to  read  and  reply  to  my  letter.  But 
I  am  keeping  you  a  long  time  from  the  company 
downstairs." 

"  I  do  not  mind,  for  I  am  happier  than  I  can 
express  to  have  the  barriers  between  us  broken  down, 
and  to  know  that,  after  this,  we  shall  be  friends," 
and  Margaret's  eyes  now  overflowed. 

Josephine  gently  drew  her  toward  her  dressing- 
table. 

"  Then  will  you  wear  mamma's  gift  ? "  she  pleaded. 
"  I  know  it  would  please  her  to  see  you  wearing  it — 
may  I  fasten  it  around  your  neck  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed — please  do,"  said  Margaret  Eagerly, 
and  suddenly  experiencing  great  delight  in  her  new 
possession.  "  It  is  the  prettiest  locket  I  ever  saw, 
and  I  shall  always  love  it — now." 

Josephine  had  it  fastened  in  place  almost  before 
she  ceased  speaking;  then  bending  down  she  kissed 
the  girl  softly  on  her  lips,  while  both  felt  as  if  a  seal 
had  been  set  upon  a  life-long  friendship. 

"  !N"ow,  come,"  said  Margaret,  her  face  glowing 
with  love  and  happiness,  as  she  linked  her  arm 


196  STEP   BY   STEP 

within  her  companion's ;  "  let  us  go  down  and  I  will 
introduce  you  to  mamma  and  Ted — my  brother." 

Josephine  shot  a   startled  glance   at   her. 

"  What  must  they  think  of  me  ?  "  she  questioned 
dubiously. 

"  They  do  not  know." 

"  Margaret !  have  you  never  told  them  ?  " 

"  No,  because  I  kept  hoping  that  everything 
would  come  right ;  and  if  it  did,  I  knew  I  should  be 
sorry  I  had  said  anything  about  it." 

Josephine  could  say  nothing  at  this  evidence  of 
such  sweet  charity;  she  could  only  give  the  arm 
resting  within  hers  an  appreciative  pressure,  and  then 
they  went  downstairs  together. 

Charlie  Osgood  saw  them  as  they  entered  the 
drawing-room  arm  in  arm,  and  his  astonishment 
nearly  caused  him  to  upset  a  costly  jardiniere  on  the 
table  beside  him.  He  knew  Josephine  had  always 
openly  snubbed  Margaret,  and  he  also  had  his  sus- 
picions that  she  had  put  the  key  into  the  latter's  desk, 
although,  notwithstanding  their  intimacy,  Louis  had 
never  hinted  anything  of  the  kind  to  him. 

"Peter  Piper!  "  he  ejaculated  under  his  breath. 
"  I  really  believe  that  her  imperial  majesty  has  struck 
her  colors  at  last!  and  if  she  has  she  means  it  for 
keeps." 

Louis  also  observed  their  entrance,  yet  made  no 
sign  of  surprise ;  but  the  look  in  his  fine  eyes,  as  they 
rested  upon  Margaret,  plainly  indicated  his  appre- 
ciation of  that  which,  in  her,  had  at  last  conquered 


STEP   BY   STEP  197 

this  proud  spirit,  winning  her  allegiance  as  she  won 
all  others." 

After  Josephine  had  greeted  Mrs.  Ashton  and 
Nellie,  Margaret  led  her  directly  to  her  mother  and 
her  handsome  brother,  who  was  soon  to  graduate  from 
Harvard,  introducing  them  to  her,  and  then  left  her 
to  chat  with  the  latter,  who,  when  the  signal  for  re- 
freshments was  given,  asked  the  privilege  of  supply- 
ing her  needs. 

Louis  promptly  presented  himself  at  Margaret's 
side,  and  Charlie  appropriating  Nellie,  they  all  went 
to  the  table  together,  the  utmost  cordiality  prevailing 
among  the  sextette.  Margaret's  attitude  toward  Jo- 
sephine having  given  them  the  cue,  all  tacitly  and 
heartily  accepted  her  friend  as  theirs. 

How  trivial  a  thing  oft  makes  our  friend  a  foe ; 
But  how  sublime  it  is  to  make  a  foe  our  friend. 

The  house  party  broke  up  the  next  day,  each  and 
all  declaring  the  week  of  their  sojourn  with  Nellie 
to  have  been  "  the  loveliest  time  of  their  lives." 

Monday  morning  following  found  the  seniors  all 
back  in  their  places  at  school,  eager  to  begin  on  thft 
last  term  of  their  last  year  at  "  High." 

Just  before  the  lessons  were  taken  up  Josephine 
Ashton  arose  from  her  seat,  an  unwonted  humility 
in  her  bearing.  "  Professor  Allyn,  may  I  say  a  few 
words  to  the  class  ?  "  she  inquired. 

The  professor  looked  surprised  for  the  moment, 
then  his  face  suddenly  grew  luminous.  Instinc- 
tively he  knew  what  was  coming. 


198  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  Certainly,  Miss  Ashton,"  he  cordially  replied. 

"  A  few  months  ago,"  Josephine  resumed,  but  with 
lips  that  were  absolutely  colorless,  "  Miss  Lawrence 
was  arraigned  before  this  class  upon  the  supposition 
that  she  had  been  using  a  key  to  our  algebra — one 
having  been  found  in  her  desk.  She  was  afterwards 
practically  vindicated,  but  no  proof  of  her  innocence 
was  given  at  that  time.  Actuated  by  unworthy  mo- 
tives I  put  the  book  in  her  desk.  She  has  forgiven 
me.  May  I  ask  our  principal  and  the  class  to  be 
no  less  kind  ?  " 

There  was  a  moment  of  oppressive  silence  after  the 
trembling  girl  sank  into  her  seat.  Then  Louis  Ar- 
nold's hands  came  together  with  a  resounding  clap. 

It  was  the  signal  for  a  rousing  applause  which 
attested  the  hearty  appreciation  of  the  entire  class, 
in  view  of  the  moral  courage  which  had  prompted 
Miss  Ashton  to  assume  the  blame  that  belonged  to 
her,  and  thus  fully  exonerate  Miss  Lawrence. 

Finally  Professor  Allyn  arose  and  rapped  for 
order.  He  was  deeply  moved. 

"  It  seems  almost  superfluous  for  me  to  add  any- 
thing to  the  expression  of  approbation  and  good-will 
so  cordially  and  unanimously  manifested  by  the 
class,  and  which  shows  me  that  you  all  honor  one  who 
has  the  courage  of  her  convictions."  He  paused  a 
moment,  then  resumed :  "It  is  a  noble  stand  that 
Miss  Ashton  has  taken  this  morning,  to  thus  publicly 
give  us  incontrovertible  proof  of  the  innocence  of 
her  friend,  and  in  so  doing  she  has  also  exonerated* 
every  other  member  of  the  class ;  for,  of  course,  there 


STEP   BY   STEP  199 

has  been  some  doubt  in  the  minds  of  all  regarding 
who  had  thrown  suspicion  upon  Miss  Lawrence. 
This  class  will  soon  go  out  from  me,  some  to  pursue 
a  higher  course,  others  to  take  their  places  in  the 
world;  and,  while  my  interest  always  follows  my 
pupils  in  their  chosen  walks  of  life,  I  wish  to  say 
that  every  one  of  you  will  carry  with  you  a  larger 
share  of  my  esteem  because  of  the  keen  sense  of 
what  is  just  and  honorable  that  you  have  shown  to- 
day. You  may  now  take  your  books." 

The  weeks  sped  by,  June  came,  the  examinations 
were  passed,  the  class  was  graduated  and  its  work 
in  "  dear  old  High  "  became  a  thing  of  the  past. 

Margaret  led  her  class  to  the  last,  although  Jose- 
phine followed  a  close  second,  while  the  bond  of 
friendship  recently  established  between  them  only 
grew  stronger  as  the  race  went  on.  Before  vacation 
was  over  Josephine  had  been  admitted  to  Vassar, 
Margaret  and  Nellie  were  booked  for  Smith's  Col- 
lege at  Northampf  on,  and  Arnold  and  Osgood,  having 
successfully  weathered  the  trying  preliminaries,  had 
become  Harvard  freshmem. 


200  STEP  BY  STEP 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  four  years  which  Arnold  and  Osgood  spent 
together  as  chums  at  Harvard  were  filled  with  hard, 
grinding  work ;  this,  however,  was  interspersed  with 
much  that  was  enjoyable  and  also  with  many  other 
checkered  experiences  that  appertain  to  the  life  of  a 
college  student. 

Both  were  genial,  manly,  all-around  fellows,  and 
they  could  not  fail  to  make  many  friends  from  the 
start  Still,  they  were  there  for  honest  work,  with 
the  determination  to  make  the  utmost  of  their  oppor- 
tunity; and  while  they  did  not  ostensibly  eschew  all 
fun  and  frolic,  they  preserved  a  happy  medium, 
sharing  heartily  in  such  legitimate  recreations  as 
they  had  time  for,  but,  steadfastly  keeping  in  view 
the  goal  they  were  striving  to  attain,  firmly  resisted 
any  temptations  that  would  encroach  upon  time  that 
should  be  devoted  to  their  studies. 

During  this  period  too  Louis'  high  moral  standard 
was  never  lowered;  in  everything  he  undertook  he 
was  governed  by  principle,  and  honesty,  sincerity 
and  thoroughness  were  the  watchwords  which  he  in- 
flexibly obeyed  in  all  his  work  and  social  relations ; 
and  thus  throughout  his  whole  course  he  gained  and 
preserved  the  high  esteem  of  both  professors  and 
classmates. 


STEP   BY   STEP  201 

Mr.  Richards  was  justly  proud  of  his  ward  when, 
on  the  final  commencement  day,  after  the  exercises 
were  over  and  the  clerk  of  the  board  of  trustees  arose 
to  announce  the  prizes,  he  learned  that  Louis  had 
won  an  important  fellowship ;  while  Farmer  Wieston 
and  his  wife  could  not  have  experienced  more  joy 
if  the  boy  had  been  their  own  son.  Osgood  also  came 
in  for  his  share  in  the  prize  list  and  stood  high  in 
all  his  work,  much  to  the  gratification  of  hia  own 
family. 

But  when  it  was  all  over,  in  spite  of  the  pleasur- 
able excitement  and  triumphs  of  the  day,  when  the 
last  songs  had  been  sung  on  the  campus,  when  hand 
had  gripped  hand  in  final  farewells  and  the  class  had 
melted  away  one  by  one,  there  were  many  sad  hearts 
that  pursued  their  homeward  way,  \vondering,  with 
an  added  pang,  if  they  would  ever  meet  in  those  dear 
familiar  haunts  again. 

A  few  days  later  Mr.  Richards  asked  Louis  if  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  what  profession  or  line  of 
business  he  would  prefer  to  follow.  The  young  man 
replied  that  he  felt  it  would  take  too  long  to  prepare 
for  a  profession — he  was  eager  to  be  doing  something 
for  himself,  and  thought  he  would  like  a  commercial 
life  as  well  as  anything  and  did  not  care  how  soon 
he  started  in  upon  it. 

"  Then  suppose,  when  Mrs.  Richards  and  I  return 
to  Chicago,  you  go  home  with  us,  and  I  will  see 
what  I  can  do  for  you  ? "  was  the  proposition  his 
guardian  made  to  him,  and  Louis  readily  fell  in 
with  it — all  the  more  eagerly  because  the  arrange- 


202  STEP  BY   STEP 

merit  would  again  put  him  in  close  proximity  with 
his  old  friend  Miss  Wellington,  as  well  as  give  him 
a  wider  field  to  work  in. 

The  three  girl  friends  who  had  been  classmates 
with  Arnold  and  Osgood  in  high  school  had  also 
finished  their  course  in  college.  Nellie  Evarts  was 
to  sail  for  Europe  in  September  and,  with  her  par- 
ents, spend  a  year  traveling  abroad.  Margaret  Law- 
rence had  arranged  to  return  to  Smith  College  as  a 
teacher,  to  fill  the  vacancy  of  one  who  had  married ; 
and  she  felt  justly  proud  to  have  been  chosen  for  the 
position. 

To  Josephine  Ashton  there  had  come  great  changes 
during  these  four  years.  She  lost  her  mother  during 
her  second  year  in  college,  and  her  father  had  fol- 
lowed while  she  was  at  home  on  her  last  vacation, 
after  which  sad  event  it  was  discovered  that  his 
affairs  were  seriously  involved  and  that  the  supposed 
heiress  would  be  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  earning 
her  own  living  in  the  future;  for,  when  everything 
was  settled,  only  a  few  paltry  hundreds  remained — 
barely  enough  to  defray  the  expenses  of  her  last  year 
at  Vassar.  But,  even  though  this  would  leave  her 
almost  penniless,  she  decided  to  return,  for  then  she 
would  be  better  fitted  to  face  the  world.  In  this  de- 
cision she  was  seconded  by  her  guardian,  Mr.  John 
Sherburne  of  Chicago,  whom  Mr.  Ashton  had  ap- 
pointed as  such,  and  also  as  the  executor  of  his  will. 

Mrs.  Sherburne  had  been  the  only  sister  of  Mrs. 
Ashton.  and  both  she  and  her  husband  had  been  very 
fond  of  Josephine  from  her  childhood,  hence  Mr. 


STEP  BY   STEP  203 

Ashton's  confidence  in  the  man.  Josephine's  brother, 
Eobert,  had  been  much  of  a  rover  since  leaving  col- 
lege, and  was  now  supposed  to  be  somewhere  in 
South  America. 

During  the  four  years  the  friendship  between 
Margaret  and  Josephine  had  continually  strength- 
ened. They  had  corresponded  regularly  and  had 
also  seen  much  of  each  other  during  their  vacations ; 
while  Margaret's  brother,  Theodore,  had  continued 
to  evince  a  preference  for  Miss  Ashton's  society  from 
the  time  of  their  introduction  on  the  night  of  Nellie 
Evarts'  party.  Josephine,  however,  had  been  learn- 
ing to  care  more  and  more  for  Louis,  who  when  at 
home  was  made  to  feel  that  he  was  always  a  welcome 
guest  at  the  Ashton's  and  was  invariably  the  first  to 
receive  an  invitation  to  their  social  functions. 

Louis  was  not  unmindful  of  this  growing  regard, 
but,  while  he  was  in  college  and  until  he  knew  defi- 
nitely what  his  future  was  to  be,  he  would  not  permit 
himself  to  manifest  any  preference,  always  dividing 
his  time  and  attentions  about  equally  between  the 
three  girls.  Nevertheless  there  was  always  a  brighter 
light  in  his  eyes  and  a  repressed  eagerness  in  his  man- 
ner whenever  Margaret  fell  to  his  lot;  and  down  in 
the  depths  of  his  heart  he  knew  that  no  other  would 
ever  be  so  dear  to  him. 

Upon  their  first  meeting  at  the  county  fair  he  had 
thought  her  the  most  beautiful  child  he  had  ever  seen ; 
he  had  begun  to  love  her  then  because  she  had  been 
so  kindly  thoughtful  of  him — even  to  the  spending 
of  some  of  her  pin-money  for  him.  And  at  that  time 


204  STEP  BY   STEP 

he  had  felt  that  Ted  must  be  about  the  happiest  boy 
in  the  world  to  have  such  a  sweet  little  sister.  Then 
the  finding  of  her  ring  seemed  to  establish  a 
peculiar  bond  between  them.  Afterward  when  they 
had  met  at  school  and  he  had  championed  her  cause 
— a  little  secret  between  them  resulting  from  it — he 
began  to  have  a  sort  of  sense  of  proprietorship  in  her ; 
and  this  feeling  had  continued  to  grow  with  the  years 
that  followed. 

There  had  been  times  during  his  college  life  when 
he  had  strongly  yearned  for  some  expression  of  her 
sentiments  toward  him,  but  he  resolutely  adhered  to 
his  determination  to  make  no  advances  until  he  at- 
tained a  position  worthy  of  her  acceptance;  hence 
his  eagerness  to  get  into  business  and  his  decision 
to  go  to  Chicago  with  the  Richardses  when  their 
summer  outing  was  over. 

Upon  his  arrival  there  he  made  it  his  first  duty, 
as  it  also  was  his  pleasure,  to  pay  a  visit  to  Aunt 
Martha. 

Miss  Wellington  still  retained  her  position  as 
housekeeper  for  Mr.  John  Sherburne,  which  virtu- 
ally meant  that  she  was  lady  of  the  house,  with 
plenty  of  help  to  command,  presiding  at  his  table, 
entertaining  his  friends,  etc.,  and,  as  these  duties 
necessitated  considerable  care  regarding  her  personal 
appearance,  Louis  found  that  she  had  blossomed  out 
into  quite  a  genteel,  stylish  lady — in  fact  ho  thought 
her  downright  handsome  in  her  soft  black  silks  with 
rich  creamy  laces  at  her  neck  and  wrists,  and  her 
still  abundant  hair  becomingly  arranged. 


STEP   BY   STEP  205 

Miss  Wellington,  on  her  part,  experienced  no  less 
pride  and  satisfaction  in  the  manly,  cultured  fellow 
whose  character  she  had  so  conscientiously  tried  to 
mould  in  his  boyhood ;  and  who,  as  he  now  stood  be- 
fore her  with  his  clear,  frank  eyes  and  earnest  face, 
seemed  the  embodiment  of  all  that  was  noble  and 
true  and  morally  clean. 

Previous  to  this,  however,  she  had  made  a  very 
curious  discovery — one  which  she  was  sure  was  in 
some  way  connected  with  Louis.  Yet  she  had  never 
written  him  anything  about  it  because,  after  learn- 
ing that  he  was  coming  to  Chicago  to  live,  she  thought 
the  story  could  be  much  more  easily  told  than  written. 

Mr.  Sherburne  never  gave  himself  any  concern 
about  his  household  affairs — always  leaving  every- 
thing to  his  housekeeper  and  the  servants;  and  he 
never  could  endure  the  slightest  confusion  in  his 
home. 

Whenever  house^cleaning  time  came  around  he 
would  invariably  vanish  for  a  week,  telling  Misa 
Wellington  that  she  might  consider  herself  the  mon- 
arch of  all  she  surveyed  during  his  absence,  with  one 
exception — his  library  must  remain  untouched;  and 
he  never  would  consent  to  have  it  thoroughly  cleaned, 
much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  good  woman,  who  in- 
sisted that  every  other  nook  and  corner  of  her 
domain  be  kept  in  the  most  immaculate  condition. 
Now  and  then,  upon  her  insistence,  he  would  allow 
the  rugs  to  be  taken  up  and  cleansed  and  the  floors 
done  over;  but  his  books  and  papers  must  never  be 
touched.  During  all  the  years  she  had  lived  there 


206  STEP   BY   STEP 

not  a  volume  Had  been  removed  from  its  place,  except 
as  he  had  wanted  to  use  it,  and  the  thought  of  the 
dust  which  must  have  collected  in  and  around  them 
was  revolting  to  her  rigid  ideas  regarding  cleanliness. 

But,  this  summer,  the  man  had  suddenly  taken  a 
whim  to  have  the  room  repapered  and  completely 
renovated;  and  now  Miss  Wellington  found  she  had 
need  of  all  her  patience  and  tact,  for  he  asserted  that 
everything  must  be  done  under  his  own  personal 
supervision,  all  books  taken  down  in  their  order  and 
placed  in  certain  places  and  tiers  to  insure  their 
being  returned  to  their  proper  shelves  after  the  cases 
were  done  over. 

It  was  while  they  were  thus  engaged  that  Miss 
Wellington  came  upon  a  small  package,  wrapped  in 
brown  paper,  and  which  had  evidently  been  carelessly 
shut  away  in  a  book  and  forgotten. 

It  was  while  dusting  this  volume  that  its  contents 
came  to  light  and  she  observed  that  a  faded  blue  rib- 
bon was  loosely  wound  around  the  paper,  but  was  not 
tied. 

"  Is  this  of  any  special  value,  Mr.  Sherburne  ? " 
she  inquired  as  she  held  it  up  before  him. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  he  queried,  extending  his  hand 
for  it 

But  he  took  it  from  her  heedlessly,  whereupon  the 
ribbon  came  off,  the  paper  loosened,  and  the  con- 
tents slipped  to  the  floor,  leaving  the  wrapper  in  his 
grasp. 

The  contents  consisted  of  five  photographs. 

Miss  Wellington  stooped  quickly  to  recover  them, 


STEP  BY  STEP  207 

and  as  she  did  so  a  shock  went  quivering  through 
her  from  head  to  foot. 

She  had  instantly  recognized  three  of  those  photo- 
graphs. They  were  Louis  Arnold's  father  and 
mother  and  a  likeness  of  himself  taken  when  he  was 
an  infant.  The  other  two  faces  she  had  never  seen. 

Martha  Wellington  was  naturally  a  very  self- 
contained  woman,  else  she  might  have  betrayed  her 
recognition  of  these  faces  in  her  surprise;  but  she 
gathered  them  up  with  apparent  calmness,  observing, 
while  doing  so,  this  inscription  written  on  the  back 
of  one  of  the  cards : 

CAPTAIN  JOHN  SHERBURNE, 
Of  Her  Majesty's  Fifty-seventh. 

Her  eyes  swept  the  face  of  her  companion  with  keen- 
est scrutiny  as  she  laid  the  pictures  in  his  hand,  and 
saw,  as  he  ran  them  over,  that  he  suddenly  flushed  a 
startled  crimson,  then  turned  a  sickly  white. 

"  Aha !  some  family  photographs !  "  he  remarked, 
after  a  moment  of  hesitancy,  during  which  he  made 
a  mighty  effort  to  regain  his  self -poise;  for  he  had 
become  aware  of  a  peculiar  expression  on  the  face  of 
his  housekeeper,  whose  grave  eyes  were  keenly  search- 
ing his  own.  Then,  as  a  guilty  conscience  almost 
always  overreaches  itself,  he  held  the  picture  of  the 
English  captain  off  at  arm's-length  and  added,  with 
a  forced  smile : 

"  My  father,  Miss  Wellington — he  didn't  make 
a  bad-looking  soldier,  did  he  ?  There  isn't  much  re- 
semblance between  us,  however,  even  though  I  bear 


2o8  STEP   BY   STEP 

his  name.  I  have  wondered  what  had  become  of 
these  pictures." 

Then  hastily  shuffling  them  together,  he  folded  the 
wrapper  about  them,  winding  the  string  around  the 
package,  and  tossed  it  carelessly  upon  his  desk. 

Miss  Wellington  made  no  reply,  but  turned  back 
to  her  work,  her  head  in  a  whirl. 

What  did  it  mean?  She  knew  she  had  not  been 
mistaken,  for  she  would  have  recognized  the  faces  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold  anywhere ;  and  Louis — she  had 
held  him  in  her  arms  many  a  time  when  he  was  a 
baby  in  long  clothes.  But  how  came  John  Sher- 
burne  by  them  ?  and  he  had  claimed  them  as  family 
photographs!  Could  it  be  possible  that  he  was  a 
relative  of  Louis'  father  or  mother? 

Still  he  had  acted  strangely  the  moment  he  saw 
them.  He  had  been  startled ;  there  had  been  a  sug- 
gestion of  fear  and  guilt  in  his  manner  as  if  there 
were  something  connected  with  the  pictures  that  he 
was  afraid  to  have  known. 

But  for  that  she  might  have  betrayed  her  recog- 
nition of  them,  for  it  had  almost  been  on  her  lips  to 
utter  their  names  when  she  had  caught  his  start  and 
saw  him  change  color.  It  was  very  mysterious,  and 
the  incident  kept  recurring  to  her  mind  throughout 
the  day. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  after  going  through  his  desk 
and  a  cabinet,  weeding  them  out,  and  putting  what 
he  rejected  into  a  box,  he  told  her  to  have  William 
take  the  rubbish  out  in  the  morning  and  consign  it 
to  the  waste-barrel. 


STEP   BY  STEP  200 

But  Miss  Wellington,  always  caretaking,  thought 
sue  would  look  the  box  of  rubbish  over,  to  be  sure 
nothing  of  value  had  slipped  into  it,  when,  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  mass  of  old  letters,  bills,  etc.,  she 
found  the  package  of  photographs  that  had  so  mysti- 
fied her  earlier  in  the  day. 

She  deliberately  put  them  into  her  pocket,  but 
more  perplexed  than  ever;  for  why  should  the  man 
wish  his  "  family  pictures  "  destroyed  ? 

That  evening,  in  the  privacy  of  her  own  room,  she 
took  them  from  their  place  of  concealment  and  stud- 
ied each  face  carefully. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  these  three,"  she 
at  length  observed,  separating  the  Arnold  group  from 
the  others.  "  I  have  known  them  too  long  and  too 
intimately  not  to  be  sure ;  and  this  dress  on  the  baby 
—I  remember  it  well ;  it  was  Louis'  christening  robe, 
and  his  mother  worked  the  waist  and  sleeves  with 
her  own  fingers.  But  these  I  know  nothing  about," 
she  continued,  taking  up  the  other  two  cards,  a  be- 
wildered look  in  her  eyes.  "  The  English  captain 
Mr.  Sherburne  claims  as  his  father.  Could  this 
woman  have  been  his  mother  ?  And  if  this  is  true, 
what  possible  connection  can  the  Arnold  family  hav»* 
with  him  ?  I  have  never  heard  him  refer  to  a  single 
relative  until  to-day.  He  said  he  had  l  missed  the 
pictures — had  wondered  what  had  become  of  them/ 
and  now  he  has  voluntarily  thrown  them  away — even 
taking  the  trouble  to  hide  them  in  the  midst  of  that 
rubbish.  It  is  certainly  very  mysterious !  " 

She   finally  put   the   photographs   away,   locking- 


210  STEP  BY   STEP 

them  in  a  small  compartment  of  her  desk,  the  key 
to  which  she  always  carried  about  her  person. 

This  strange  occurrence  haunted  her  for  a  long 
time  and  aroused  a  suspicion  in  the  woman's  mind 
that  there  might  be  something  connected  with  his 
early  life  which  Mr.  Sherburne  was  anxious  to  con- 
ceal, and  she  longed  for  the  coming  of  Louis,  to  whom 
she  intended  to  show  the  pictures  and  ascertain  what 
theory  he  would  advance  regarding  the  matter. 

When  he  did  finally  come  it  was  a  most  happy 
meeting  after  five  long  years  of  separation. 

"  So  you  are  through  college,  dear  boy,"  she  said, 
with  a  proud  look  and  intonation,  when  the  first 
joyous  greetings  were  over  and  she  had  made  him 
sit  down  beside  her  with  his  hand  still  clasped  in 
hers.  "  How  doubtful  such  a  prospect  seemed  when 
you  and  I  parted  that  day  in  New  Hampshire !  But 
I  never  lost  my  faith  that  you  would  be  amply  pro- 
vided for — not  even  during  those  darkest  days  when 
you  were  at  the  farm.  How  wonderful  it  has  been ! 
And  you  have  also  done  your  part — you  have  been 
a  faithful  worker  and  are  now  ready  to  start  out  in 
life  for  yourself.  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Going  to  make  my  fortune,  Aunt  Martha,"  he 
cheerily  returned,  as  he  smiled  fondly  into  the  face 
of  the  friend  he  loved  as  dearly  as  ever. 

"  Yes,  but  how  ?  "  she  persisted,  for  this  stage  in 
his  career  had  caused  her  much  serious  thought. 

"  Well,  to  begin  with,  I  am  going  to  take  the  first 
honorable  position  I  can  find,  and  do  my  level  best 


STEP  BY   STEP  211 

in  it,  of  course  keeping  my  eyes  wide  open  all  the 
tkne  for  something  better." 

"  Good  boy !  That  is  the  right  spirit,"  said  Miss 
Wellington  approvingly,  then  added :  "  I  imagined 
that  Mr.  Richards  might  want  to  make  a  lawyer  of 

you." 

"  I  think  it  would  have  pleased  him  if  I  had  chosen 
his  profession,"  Louis  gravely  replied ;  "  but  that 
would  have  taken  three  or  four  years  more  before  I 
could  really  get  into  the  traces  for  work.  I  want  to 
be  doing  something  for  myself  to  make  a  home  and 
have  you  in  it  with  me — you  dear  woman ;  "  and  he 
gave  her  arm  an  affectionate  stroke  that  spoke  vol- 
umes. "  Really,  Aunt  Martha,"  he  presently  re- 
sumed, "  Mr.  Richards  and  the  Westons  have  done 
so  much  for  me  I  somehow  shrink  from  increasing 
my  obligations ;  and  besides,  I  do  not  think  I  was  cut 
out  for  a  lawyer — I  am  just  longing  to  get  into  active 
business.  But  " — smiling — "  there  is  getting  to  be 
to  much  ego  about  this,  and  you  must  have  a  lot  that 
is  interesting  about  yourself  stored  up  for  me.  I 
can't  tell  you,  though,  how  disappointed  I  was  be- 
cause you  could  not  come  on  to  commencement." 

"  Well,  I  had  made  all  my  plans  to  do  so,  as  you 
know,  when  Mr.  Sherburne  was  taken  ill.  It  was 
a  blow  to  him  as  well  as  to  me,  for  he  had  planned 
to  go  to  Vassar  to  be  present  at  the  graduation  of  his 
ward,  Miss  Ashton,  who,  by  the  way,  is  coming  to 
us,  with  the  hope  of  getting  a  position  to  teach,  after 
she  has  made  some  visits  in  the  East,"  Miss  Welling- 
ton explained,  then  went  on :  "  But  it  was  very  nice 


112  STEP   BY  STEP 

of  you  to  send  me  those  few  lines,  every  day  of  that 
busy  week,  to  keep  me  posted.  It  was  next  to  being 
there  in  person,  and  I  was  very  proud  when  I  heard 
of  the  honors  you  had  won." 

They  talked  on  some  time  longer  of  matters  in 
general,  Miss  Wellington  going  more  into  detail  re- 
garding her  life  during  their  long  separation  than 
she  had  been  able  to  do  in  her  letters;  then  all  at 
once  she  inquired: 

"  Louis,  what  was  your  mother's  maiden  name  ? 
It  seems  strange  that,  as  intimately  as  I  knew  her, 
I  never  heard  her  mention  it." 

"  Why ! — did  she  never  tell  you  ?  It  was  Annie 
Judkins." 

Miss  Wellington  looked  disappointed;  she  had 
almost  hoped  to  hear  something  entirely  different. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  your  grandparents 
— her  father  and  mother  ?  "  she  thoughtfully  pur- 
sued. 

"  Very  little,"  said  Louis.  "  Mother  never  seemed 
to  like  to  talk  about  her  family.  She  said  her  father 
died  when  she  was  ten  years  old;  then  she  and  her 
mother  came  to  this  country  and  lived  in  Lowell, 
Mass.,  until  she  met  father,  who  was  a  teacher  there, 
and  they  were  married.  About  a  year  and  a  half 
later  I  appeared  upon  the  scene,  and  when  I  wa~ 
only  a  few  weeks  old  my  grandmother  died.  That 
fall  father  was  appointed  principal  of  the  high  school 

in ,  New  Hampshire,  and — but  you  know  the 

rest,  Aunt  Martha." 

Yes,  she  had  heard  all  that  before,  but  she  was 


STEP   BY   STEP  213 

disappointed  not  to  get  even  a  ray  of  light  upon  the 
mystery  which  so  puzzled  her.  Then  a  new  thought 
occurred  to  her. 

"  Do  you  know  what  your  grandmother's  maiden 
name  was  ?  "  she  inquired. 

Louis  laughed. 

"  Aunt  Martha,  you  seem  inclined  to  go  into  chron- 
ological details  to-day,"  he  said;  "but  they  never 
held  much  of  interest  for  me.  No,  I  never  heard 
my  mother  mention  any  relative  as  far  back  as  that." 

"  Then — of  course  you  do  not  know  whether  there 
was  ever  any  one  by  the  name  of  Sherburne  con- 
nected even  remotely  with  your  family  ?  " 

Louis  started  as,  for  the  first  time  in  years,  his 
thoughts  reverted  to  those  photographs  he  had  lost 
on  that  last  trip  from  New  Hampshire.  Indeed,  the 
incident  had  long  since  almost  faded  from  his  mind ; 
not  even  when  Miss  Wellington  had  informed  him 
with  whom  she  was  living  had  the  name  of  Sherburne 
suggested  anything  to  him. 

"  Why,  Aunt  Martha !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  it  really 
is  very  queer,  but  it  has  never  occurred  to  me  before 
that  you  are  keeping  house  for  a  man  by  the  same 
name — John  Sherburne!  I  wonder  if — if  there  is 
any  connection  between  the  two !  " 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  Louis  ?  "  she  in- 
quired, and  regarding  him  curiously. 

"  Something  that  happened  to  me  when  Mr.  Rich- 
ards and  I  were  on  our  way  home  from  that  trip  to 
New  Hampshire.  You  remember  that  box  of  old 
letters  you  found  among  mother's  things?  " 


214  STEP  BY  STEP 

"  Yes,  and  I  put  them  away  for  you  because  I 
thought  they  might  possibly  contain  something  of  in- 
terest to  you  when  you  were  older.  But  what  of 
them  ?  "  and  Miss  Wellington  was  now  all  on  the 
alert. 

"  You  know  you  left  all  the  things  with  Mrs.  Good- 
man, to  be  taken  care  of  until  I  could  find  a  home," 
Louis  continued.  "  I  went  there  to  pack  and  bring 
them  away,  and,  while  doing  so,  I  dropped  that  box 
of  letters,  scattering  them  in  every  direction.  In 
picking  them  up  I  found  a  little  package  tied  with 
a  blue  ribbon.  Feeling  curious  to  know  what  it  con- 
tained, I  opened  it  and  found  five  photographs — 

"Ah! " 

"  Father's  and  mother's,  with  one  of  me,  taken 
when  I  was  a  baby,  and  two  others  whom  I  did  not 
know.  One  was  a  woman,  the  other  an  English  sol- 
dier dressed  in  full  uniform,  and  on  the  back  of  this 
a  name  had  been  written " 

"  Louis ! — and  that  name  was —  ?  "  almost  breath- 
lessly interposed  Miss  Wellington. 

"  John  Sherburne,  captain  in  one  of  Her  Majesty's 
regiments.  I  have  forgotten  the  number,"  the  young 
man  replied. 

"  Where  are  those  pictures  now  ? "  demanded  his 
companion. 

"  I  lost  them " 

"  Lost  them !  When  ?  Where  ?  How  ?  "  and  the 
usually  self-contained  woman  was  actually  trembling 
from  excitement  as  at  last  she  began  to  discern  a  ray 
of  light. 


STEP   BY   STEP  215 

"  I  put  them  in  my  pocket,  with  one  of  yourself, 
which  you  gave  me  when  you  went  away,  for  I  wanted 
to  look  at  them  again;  then  I  finished  packing  my 
things  to  take  to  Mr.  Weston's,"  Louis  resumed. 
"  On  the  way  to  Boston  I  took  the  photos  out  and 
showed  them  to  Mr.  Richards,  after  which  I  tied 
them  up  again,  and  thought  I  put  them  back  in  my 
pocket ;  but  I  suppose  I  was  careless,  for  when  we  got 
home  that  night  I  looked  for  them  and  they  were 
gone.  I  only  found  yours,  which  was  in  an  envelope 
by  itself,  and  which  I  had  slipped  into  another 
pocket." 

"  You  lost  them  on  the  train !  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,  and  I  felt  pretty  badly,  for  I 
liked  that  picture  of  my  father  better  than  the  one 
in  mother's  album.  But  it  is  queer  about  that  Eng- 
lish captain  and  the  name,  isn't  it  ?  "  Louis  con- 
cluded musingly. 

"  It  certainly  is,"  responded  Miss  Wellington,  in 
a  repressed  tone.  Then  rising,  she  added :  "  Excuse 
me  for  a  moment,  Louis.  I  want  to  get  something 
that  is  upstairs."  She  left  the  room  and  ran  swiftly 
up  to  her  own,  where,  unlocking  her  desk,  she  took 
from  it  the  package  which  she  had  found  among  Mr. 
Sherburne's  discarded  rubbish  the  day  they  were 
dusting  his  books  in  the  library. 

A  minute  later  she  was  back  downstairs,  and 
handed  the  parcel  to  Louis,  observing: 

"  There  is  something  which  I  would  like  you  to* 
examine." 

His  eyes  grew  wide  with  wonder  as  he  took  it^ 


216  STEP   BY   STEP 

for  it  had  a  strangely  familiar  look ;  then  he  flushed 
a  startled  crimson  as  he  hastily  removed  the  cover- 
ing and  recognized  its  contents. 

"  Aunt  Martha,  how  came  you  to  have  these  ? 
They  are  the  very  pictures  I  lost  that  day  on  the 
train !  "  he  cried  in  tones  of  amazement. 

Miss  Wellington  seated  herself  again  beside  him 
and  related  how  and  where  they  had  been  found  j 
how  strangely  Mr.  Sherburne  had  appeared  at  the 
time,  and  how  they  had  afterwards  come  into  her 
hands. 

"  Of  course  I  instantly  recognized  your  own  and 
your  father's  and  mother's  faces,"  she  remarked,  in 
conclusion,  "  although  I  had  presence  of  mind  enough 
not  to  betray  the  fact  to  Mr.  Sherburne,  for  I  saw  at 
once  that  there  was  a  secret  of  some  kind  connected 
with  his  posession  of  them ;  and  I  have  been  very  im- 
patient to  have  you  come,  so  that  we  might  talk  it 
over  together." 

"  And  he  claims  that  this  soldier,  (  John  Sher- 
burne, of  Her  Majesty's  Fifty-seventh  ' — I  remember 
the  number  distinctly  now — was  his  father,  and  that 
he  was  named  for  him  ?  "  said  Louis  inquiringly, 
while  he  studied  the  face  of  the  fine-looking  captain 
attentively. 

"  Yes,  that  was  what  he  said,  although  there  was 
a  peculiar  constraint  in  his  manner  as  he  did  so; 
while,  the  next  moment,  he  appeared  to  regret  that 
he  had  offered  any  information  regarding  the  pic- 
tures, and  hurried  them  out  of  sight,  immediately 


STEP  BY   STEP  217 

changing  the  subject.  I  afterwards  found  them  hid- 
den among  the  rubbish  to  be  thrown  out." 

"  It  certainly  is  a  very  peculiar  affair,"  Louis  ob- 
served ;  "  but,  Aunt  Martha,  I  can  swear  that  these 
are  the  identical  pictures  I  lost — I  even  recall  this 
broken  corner  on  the  old  lady's  photo.  Do  you  sup- 
pose she  was  my  grandmother  ?  " 

"  I  can  only  surmise,  dear  boy,"  said  his  friend, 
"  but  one  would  almost  imagine,  from  the  fact  that 
the  five  likenesses  are  together,  that  she  and  the  cap- 
tain may  have  been  the  parents  of  your  mother ;  and 
yet  there  is  the  name,  you  see — that  is  against  that 
theory.  I  am  deeply  puzzled.  You  must  read  every 
one  of  those  letters,  Louis,  and  possibly  they  will 
throw  some  light  upon  the  matter." 

"  I  will ;  but  I  shall  have  to  send  for  them,  for 
I  left  all  the  things  I  brought  home  from  ^"ew 
Hampshire  at  Mr.  Weston's.  I  have  never  had  occa- 
sion to  use  anything  excepting  some  of  my  father's 
books  while  I  was  in  college,  and,  knowing  I  should 
not  need  them  here,  I  left  them  at  home.  But  how 
would  it  do  to  go  to  Mr.  Sherburne,  state  the  case 
frankly  to  him,  and  ask  him  to  explain  the  mystery 
to  us  ?  "  the  young  man  thoughtfully  proposed. 

"  I  had  thought  of  that  myself,  for,  as  you  know, 
I  believe  in  straightforward  dealing,"  Miss  Welling- 
ton replied ;  "  but  something  tells  me  to  move  cau- 
tiously. I  think  we  will  study  the  situation  for 
awhile — at  any  rate  until  you  have  read  those 
letters." 


218  STEP   BY   STEP 

"  Very  well ;  I  have  always  found  it  wise  to  rely 
upon  your  judgment,"  was  the  smiling  response; 
"  and  now  I  think— 

"  Wait,"  said  Miss  Wellington,  laying  a  detaining 
hand  upon  his  arm  as  he  was  about  to  rise.  "  I  heard 
Mr.  Sherburne  just  come  in.  I  would  like  you  two 
to  meet." 

A  minute  later  the  gentleman  entered  the  room. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Sherburne,  you  are  a  little  early  this 
afternoon,"  Miss  Wellington  observed,  as  both  she 
and  Louis  arose  at  his  approach.  "  This  is  oppor- 
tune, for  I  would  like  to  have  you  meet  '  my  boy/ 
of  whom  you  have  so  often  heard  me  speak — Mr. 
Louis  Arnold,  Mr.  Sherburne." 


STEP  BY  STEP  219 


CHAPTEK  XVI 

THE  two  men  experienced  a  simultaneous  shock 
as  they  looked  into  each  other's  face.  Louis  instantly 
recognized  the  gentleman  who  had  accosted  him  on 
the  grounds  at  the  county  fair,  ten  years  previous, 
and  who  had  so  generously  supplied  him  with  pea- 
nuts upon  that  occasion,  while  Mr.  Sherburne,  as  he 
now  searched  the  young  man's  frank,  open  counte- 
nance, which  had  changed  but  little,  except  to  mature 
in  contour  and  intelligence,  knew  him  to  be  the  iden- 
tical boy  who  had  so  startled  him  on  that  same  day, 
and  awakened  in  his  long-dormant  conscience  a  sense 
of  mingled  fear  and  guilt,  and  also  of  impending 
evil. 

But  John  Sherburne,  after  the  first  thrill  of  con- 
firmation had  passed,  cordially  grasped  the  hand 
Louis  extended  to  him,  and  courteously  expressed 
his  pleasure  upon  making  the  acquaintance  of  Miss. 
Wellington's  protege. 

At  the  same  time  he  could  not  quite  conceal  from 
the  alertly  observant  eyes  of  his  housekeeper  his  per- 
turbation upon  being  again  confronted  by  this  porten- 
tous reminder  of  a  certain  event  in  his  career  which 
he  fain  would  have  obliterated  from  his  conscious- 
ness; and  the  woman  was  confirmed  in  her  previous 
conviction  that  the  man  was  in  possession  of  some 


220  STEP   BY   STEP 

secret  which  in  some  way  involved  the  interests  of 
her  dear  boy. 

Yet  Mr.  Sherburne  quickly  recovered  himself,  and, 
inviting  Louis  to  be  seated  again,  engaged  him  in 
conversation  and  kept  him  talking  for  another  half 
hour,  drawing  him  out  upon  his  life  in  college,  ply- 
ing him  with  questions  regarding  his  plans  for  the 
future — what  line  of  business  he  preferred,  where 
he  intended  to  locate,  etc.  Miss  Wellington  was 
quick  to  bbserve  that  when  Louis  mentioned  that  he 
had  come  to  Chicago  to  make  a  start  in  life  a  shade 
of  annoyance  flitted  over  Mr.  Sherburne's  face ;  while 
some  of  the  radically  honest  ideas  which  the  younger 
man  expressed,  as  they  were  discussing  certain  pre- 
vailing business  methods,  appeared  to  smite  the  elder 
upon  a  sensitive  spot,  even  causing  him  to  change 
color  two  or  three  times. 

After  Louis'  departure  John  Sherburne,  a  gloomy 
frown  upon  his  brow,  retired  to  his  library,  where  he 
eat  for  a  long  time  in  deep  thought.  It  was  evident 
that  his  reflections  were  not  of  a  pleasant  nature, 
for  his  face  was  overcast,  his  eyes  heavy  and  anxious, 
and  now  and  then  he  muttered  nervously  to  himself. 

At  length  he  arose,  went  to  his  safe,  and  from  an 
inner  compartment  brought  forth  an  official-looking 
envelope.  Going  back  to  his  desk  he  drew  out  a 
time-yellowed  document,  which  he  carefully  exam- 
ined, a  very  disagreeable  expression  of  mingled 
anxiety,  perplexity  and  cupidity  settling  upon  his 
countenance. 

Finally  he  pushed  it  from  him  with  an  angry  ges- 


STEP  BY   STEP  221 

ture,  that  had  something  of  the  petulance  of  a  child 
in  it. 

"  I  thought  this  affair  was  dead  and  buried  ages 
ago,"  he  burst  forth.  "  I  never  dreamed  of  being 
confronted  by  its  ghost — aye,  something  more  sub- 
stantial than  a  ghost,  if  I  am  not  mistaken.  I  did 
not  suppose  I  should  ever  need  give  it  another 
thought.  I  wonder  if  it  would  be  best  to  destroy  it 
now  ?  "  he  concluded  reflectively.  He  sat  for  some 
time  considering  this  proposition,  then  finally  re- 
sumed : 

"  If  I  do  reduce  it  to  ashes,  then  should  want  to 
go  back  to  the  old  country  by  and  by,  I  might  need 
it  and  regret  not  having  kept  it.  No  one  knows  I 
have  it — at  least  no  one  who  could  possibly  have  any 
interest  in  it;  no  one  ever  has  access  to  my  safe,  so 
I  think  I  will  risk  it." 

And  having  come  to  this  decision,  John  Sherburne 
refolded  and  replaced  the  parchment  in  the  envelope 
and  restored  it  to  its  compartment  in  his  safe,  after 
which,  assuming  his  usual  genial  manner,  but  with 
a  cunning,  steel-like  glint  in  his  eyes,  he  sauntered 
into  the  family  sitting-room  and  joined  his  house- 
keeper, whom  he  found  cosily  ensconced  in  a  com- 
fortable rocker,  and  reading  the  evening  paper  in 
the  rosy  glow  of  the  crimson-shaded  lamp  upon  the 
table. 

They  often  met  here  a  little  before  dinner,  if  he 
chanced  to  come  in  early,  and  chatted  socially  upon 
various  matters. 

"  That  is  a  fine  young  man  who  called  upon  you 


122  STEP  BY   STEP 

this  afternoon,  Miss  Wellington;  you  have  a  right 
to  be  proud  of  your  '  boy/ "  Mr.  Sherburne  re- 
marked, as  he  drew  a  chair  opposite  her  and  sat 
down.  "  He  called  you  '  Aunt  Martha/  Is  he 
really  your  nephew  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Miss  Wellington ;  "  he  is  in  no  way 
related  to  me  by  the  tie  of  blood;  but  he  is  a  dear 
boy  whom  I  took  to  my  home  and  cared  for  after  he 
was  left  an  orphan,  to  save  him  from  the  poor-house. 
He  was  with  me  two  years — until  I  was  called  West," 
and  she  briefly  gave  him  an  outline  of  Louis'  history 
from  that  time.  She  had  never  said  much  about  him 
before,  except  incidentally. 

"  Then  you  knew  his  father  and  mother  ?  Were 
they  reared  in  your  town  ?  "  pursued  the  gentleman, 
trying  to  appear  indifferently  matter-of-fact,  but 
with  an  undercurrent  of  eagerness  which  his  com- 
panion, her  suspicions  still  on  the  alert,  detected, 
notwithstanding. 

"  No,  they  did  not  come  there  to  live  until  after 
their  marriage,"  she  said,  then  added,  as  she  bent  a 
direct  look  upon  him :  "  Mr.  Arnold  was  a  Massa- 
chusetts man,  but  his  wife  was  English." 

"  Ah !  "  and  his  tone  was  a  trifle  sharp  as  if  from 
anxiety,  "  I'm  English  myself,  as  you  are  aware.  Do 
you  know  what  part  of  England  Mrs.  Arnold  came 
from?" 

"  No,  I  merely  know  the  fact.  Although  our  ac- 
quaintance covered  a  number  of  years,  Mrs.  Arnold 
very  rarely  referred  to  her  past ;  she  once  mentioned 
that  her  father  died  when  she  was  quite  young,  and, 


STEP  BY   STEP  223 

soon  after,  she  and  her  mother  came  to  this  country 
to  live ;  and  "•  — as  if  this  had  occurred  to  her  as  an 
afterthought — "  her  maiden  name  was  Judkins." 

John  Sherburne  gave  a  nervous  start;  then,  to 
cover  it,  leaned  forward  to  turn  the  light  a  trifle 
lower. 

That  name  had  not  fallen  upon  his  ears  since  that 
day  of  the  county  fair  when  he  had  questioned  Louis 
upon  the  same  subject;  and  now  he  secretly  anathe- 
matized himself  because  it  had  power  to  make  such 
a  coward  of  him. 

"  Young  Arnold  appears  to  be  bright  and  ener- 
getic— straightforward,  too,"  he  observed,  after  an 
interval  of  silence,  but  with  a  slight  shrug  as  he  men- 
tioned the  latter  virtue.  "  I  suppose  he  would  like 
to  get  started  in  something  pretty  soon." 

"  He  said  he  would  take  the  first  honorable  position, 
that  offered,"  Miss  Wellington  replied. 

"  Regardless  of  salary  ?  "  queried  her  companion, 
with  a  smile. 

"  I  think  his  object  is  to  get  a  start,  then  prove 
himself  worthy  of  adequate  compensation." 

"  U — m ;  I  believe  he  would,  too,"  said  Mr.  Sher- 
burne, with  an  affirmative  nod. 

"  I  know  he  would  be  faithful  in  whatever  he 
attempted;  he  has  always  been  very  conscientious," 
Miss  Wellington  affirmed  confidently. 

"  He  certainly  is  an  honor  to  your  early  training, 
madam.  What  a  pity  it  is  that  such  women  as  you 
cannot  have  the  molding  of  a  large  family  of  boys — 
the  world  would  soon  be  a  much  better  place  than  it 


224  STEP  BY   STEP 

is,"  and  with  what  sounded  like  a  quickly  repressed 
sigh  Mr.  Sherburne  bestowed  a  look  of  respectful 
esteem  upon  the  gentle  face  opposite  him,  and  which 
bore  the  unmistakable  stamp  of  nobility,  purity,  and 
refinement. 

"  By  the  way,"  he  added,  an  instant  later,  as  he 
drew  a  letter  from  his  pocket,  "  I  heard  from  my 
niece  to-day.  She,  too,  is  getting  rather  insistent 
regarding  a  position,  and  is  thinking  of  cutting  her 
visits  short  to  come  here  and  help  me  in  my  quest 
for  her.  I  suppose  it  does  not  matter  to  you  when 
she  comes." 

"  No,  indeed ;  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  Miss  Ashton 
again.  I  was  quite  attracted  to  her  during  her  last 
visit  to  Mrs.  Sherburne  in  Colorado,"  Miss  Welling- 
ton responded  in  a  cordial  tone. 

"  You  are  sure  this  change  in  her  plans  will  not 
interfere  in  any  way  with  your  own  ?  "  queried  the 
gentleman,  who  was  always  considerate  of  his  house- 
hold. 

"  Not  in  the  least.  I  did  intend,  as  you  know, 
to  go  East  to  ma1-  ;  Louis  a  visit  this  summer ;  but 
since  he  has  come  here  to  live  I  do  not  care  for  the 
trip.  I  love  young  people,  and  would  like  a  house 
full  of  them." 

Mr.  Sherburne  sighed  audibly  now.  He  also  had 
yearned  all  his  life  for  a  house  full  of  young  people. 
It  had  been  a  great  disappointment  to  both  himself 
and  hia  wife  that  no  children  came  to  them;  hence 
they  had  always  made  much  of  Mrs.  Sherburne's 
niece — Josephine  Ashton.  But  the  man's  softer 


STEP  BY   STEP  225 

mood  was  of  short  duration.  He  had  met  with  an 
unexpected  facer  that  afternoon  in  the  coming  of 
Louis — one  which  seemed  to  point  to  danger  ahead 
unless  he  were  wary  in  strengthening  his  defenses; 
and  as  he  sat  in  his  library  after  the  young  man's 
departure,  studying  the  situation,  a  plan  had  come 
to  him  by  means  of  which  he  thought  he  could  do 
this. 

It  was  not  a  good  or  a  clean  scheme,  and  he  was 
secretly  conscious,  even  while  considering  it,  that  he 
was  only  plunging  himself  deeper  in  the  mire  of 
wrongdoing  into  which  he  had  waded  in  making  his 
first  venture  in  life.  But  fortune  and  position  had 
ever  been  his  gods,  and  having  attained  them,  "  by 
hook  or  by  crook,"  he  had  no  intention  of  jeop- 
ardizing them  at  this  late  day. 

A  few  days  after  the  above  conversation  Louis 
received  a  communication  from  Mr.  Sherburne  in 
•which  he  asked  for  a  personal  interview,  and  stated 
that  he  had  an  opening  which,  after  talking  over  the 
conditions,  he  might  think  would  do  for  a  beginning. 

Under  the  circumstances  this  proposition  came  as 
a  surprise  to  Louis,  and  his  first  impulse  had  been 
to  politely  reject  it,  even  without  the  formality  of 
an  interview.  After  recovering  his  photographs  and 
the  talk  that  had  followed  with  Miss  Wellington,  he 
had  not  been  at  all  attracted  to  John  Sherburne,  not- 
withstanding that  gentleman  had  accorded  him  the 
utmost  courtesy.  He  felt  that  there  was  something 
very  strange  connected  with  Mr.  Sherburne's  claim- 
ing them  as  family  pictures;  while,  too,  in  spite  of 


226  STEP  BY   STEP 

his  affability,  he  himself  had  not  seemed  to  ring 
quite  true. 

At  the  same  time  he  was  anxious  to  get  into  busi- 
ness— to  be  "  doing  something  " — and,  after  consult- 
ing Mr.  Richards,  who,  although  he  knew  nothing 
about  the  man  personally,  thought  there  could  be  no 
harm  in  looking  into  the  matter,  he  went  at  once  to 
Mr.  Sherburne's  place  of  business,  which  he  found 
to  be  in  a  handsome  building  located  in  one  of  the 
finest  streets  in  the  mercantile  portion  of  the  city. 

He  was  very  cordially  received,  and  after  half 
an  hour's  talk  with  his  prospective  employer  he  found 
much  of  his  prejudice  melting  away;  and  before  the 
interview  closed  he  agreed  to  accept  the  position  at 
a  salary  which  he  regarded  as  very  liberal,  consider- 
ing he  was  just  beginning. 

Mr.  Richards  'also  thought  him  very  fortunate  in 
this  respect,  but  suggested  that  Mr.  Sherburne  might 
have  been  influenced  somewhat  by  his  regard  for 
Miss  Wellington  in  manifesting  this  unusual  interest 
in  him. 

Miss  Wellington  herself,  however,  looked  rather 
grave  upon  being  informed  of  the  arrangement. 

"  There  is  something  about  it  which  I  do  not  un- 
derstand," she  affirmed,  when  thinking  it  over  alone. 
"  I  am  convinced  that  Mr.  Sherburne  knows  some- 
thing about  either  Louis  or  his  family  which  he  is 
anxious  to  conceal.  He  is  English,  Mrs.  Arnold's 
parents  were  English,  and  I  am  impressed  that  there 
may  have  been  a  wrong  done  some  time  in  the  past 
for  which  he  is  now  trying  to  salve  his  conscience, 
perhaps." 


STEP  BY   STEP  227 

She  began  to  study  him  more  carefully;  to  weigh 
his  motives,  his  words  and  acts.  He  had  always 
appeared  to  be  a  kind  man ;  was  generous  to  a  fault 
in  household  matters,  a  devoted  husband  to  the  last 
hour  of  his  wife's  life,  and  very  considerate  of  the 
help  in  his  family,  especially  so  in  connection  with 
herself. 

What  his  business  methods  were  she  had  no  means 
of  knowing.  She  had  been  told  that  he  was  accounted 
a  rich  man,  and  had  heard  him  boast  that  he  had 
made  his  own  way,  unaided,  up  fortune's  ladder. 

Still,  since  the  affair  of  the  photographs,  she  had 
felt  an  increasing  distrust  of  him,  and  now  this  un- 
usual business  proposition  to  Louis  only  served  to 
multiply  her  suspicions.  She  found  herself  growing 
anxious  lest  her  "  boy,"  under  his  influence,  should 
become  so  entangled  in  his  business  methods,  if  they 
were  not  honest,  that  he  would  be  tempted  out  of  an 
absolutely  straightforward  career  by  the  glitter  of 
gold. 

Then  there  followed  a  twinge  of  self-condemnation 
in  view  of  such  uncharitable  suspicion  and  unworthy 
doubt.  "  What  are  you  doing,  Martha  Wellington  ?  n 
she  demanded  sharply  of  herself.  "  You  have  nq 
business  to  wrong  your  neighbor  even  in  thought,  or 
east  the  shadow  of  such  a  fear  over  the  foster-child 
who  has  stood  so  nobly  all  these  years.  He  is  true 
as  steel,  and  I  know  that  God,  who  has  hitherto  been 
his  shield,  will  keep  him  true." 

Louis  entered  upon  his  duties  with  enthusiasm, 
for  at  last  he  was  really  launched  upon  the  world 


228  STEP  BY   STEP 

to  do  battle  for  himself.  He  found  his  work  con- 
genial, and  it  brought  him  into  contact  with  bright, 
intelligent,  wide-awake  people. 

He  found  that  Mr.  Sherburne  was  a  broker  and 
promoter  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  he  had  been  as- 
signed to  the  position  of  confidential  clerk  and  mes- 
senger, a  berth  which  had  been  held  for  many  years 
by  a  man  who,  like  himself,  had  gone  to  his  employer 
as  a  youngster  and  grown  up  with  him. 

He  wondered  that,  in  his  inexperience,  he  had 
been  selected  for  so  responsible  a  place;  but  after 
two  or  three  months  it  dawned  upon  him,  little  by 
little,  that  it  was  because  of  this  very  fact  he  had 
been  wanted — that  he  might  be  the  more  easily  ma- 
nipulated and  molded  to  the  man's  will  and  his  meth- 
ods, which  were  far  from  being  straightforward,  and 
not  infrequently  were  downright  dishonest. 

He  was  appalled  one  day  when,  after  carefully 
studying  the  plan  of  a  new  venture  and  receiving 
from  Mr.  Sherburne  his  instructions  how  to  handle 
it  in  talking  it  up  to  possible  purchasers,  he  became 
convinced  that  he  was  being  used  as  a  cat's  paw  in  an 
absolute  fraud,  cleverly  planned  to  catch  the  unwary 
and  bring  quick  and  large  returns  into  the  promoter's 
pockets. 

With  a  sinking  heart  he  pushed  both  the  plan  and 
the  typewritten  sheets   away   from  him,    while   his 
mouth  settled  into  a  stern,  resolute  line,  and  hi- 
grew  clouded  and  anxious. 

He  dropped  his  head  upon  his  hand  and  did  some 
very  hard  thinking  in  a  very  few  minutes. 


STEP  BY   STEP  229 

He  asked  himself  what  he  should  do ;  then  smiled 
at  the  question,  since  before  it  was  formulated  in  his 
mind  he  had  already  known  what  he  must  do — the 
only  right  thing  to  do.  A  moment  later  he  was 
standing,  tall  and  straight,  before  his  employer,  the 
obnoxious  papers  in  his  hand. 

"  Mr.  Sherburne,"  he  began,  "  these  plans  and 
what  I  know  about  the  matter  do  not  correspond  with 
your  instructions." 

"  Well  ?  "  briefly  inquired  the  man. 

"  How  can  you  expect  me  to  talk  up  and  sell  stock 
in  what  doesn't  exist  ?  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  the  '  Bellmont '  does  exist," 
suavely  corrected  the  promoter.  "  The  mine  is  there, 
the  copper  is  there,  and  plenty  of  it." 

"  Yes,  but  it  isn't  fairly  opened  up  yet,"  objected 
Louis. 

"  True ;  but  it  will  be  when — we  get  sufficient 
money  in  hand  to  warrant  it." 

The  slight  emphasis  on  the  adverb,  with  the  pause 
following,  were  abhorrently  suggestive  to  the  listener. 

"  But — you  know  what  I  mean,  Mr.  Sherburne — 
I  should  have  to  tell  no  end  of  falsehoods  in  talking 
it  up  as  you  have  directed,"  said  Louis,  with  a  ges- 
ture of  repulsion. 

"  Well,  the  etory  might  seem  a  little  premature, 
if  people  knew  just  how  things  are  to-day ;  but  when 
everything  gets  to  running  nicely,  and  the  ore  is 
piling  up  on  the  surface,  it  would  be  true  enough, 
wouldn't  it?  "  his  employer  craftily  argued. 

"  And  when  is  all  this  to  occur  ? "  demanded  the 


230  STEP   BY   STEP 

younger  man,  with  a  direct  look  which,  in  spite  of 
his  hardihood,  brought  a  hot  wave  to  the  other's 
cheek. 

"  Oh,  Arnold,  you  mustn't  get  squeamish."  Mr. 
Sherburne  tried  to  speak  lightly,  but  he  hitched  ner- 
vously in  his  chair,  then  added :  "  There  are  tricks 
in  all  trades,  you  know." 

"  *  Tricks  I ;  "  repeated  Louis,  in  an  indescribable 
tone. 

"  Well,  I  admit  that  is  not  a  pleasant  word,"  said 
Mr.  Sherburne,  his  eyes  wavering  beneath  the  look 
in  those  that  were  regarding  him  so  searchingly. 
"  Perhaps  if  I  had  said  there  are  to-day  certain  sys- 
iems  in  operation  which  seem  necessary  in  order  to 
compete  successfully  in  the  business  world,  it  would 
not  have  sounded  so  objectionable  to  your  unaccus- 
tomed ears,"  he  concluded,  with  a  perceptible  sneer. 

"  But  I  don't  see "  the  young  man  began,  when 

his  companion  interrupted  him  somewhat  sharply. 

"  You  don't  need  to  '  see  ' ;  all  you  have  to  do  is  to 
obey  orders,  and  I  will  shoulder  the  responsibility," 
he  said.  "  You  are  a  very  convincing  talker,  Arnold, 
and  you  have  met  with  unusual  success  thus  far,  for 
a  greenhorn.  Now  you  just  go  ahead  according  to 
those  instructions,  and  I  will  see  that  you  have  no 
cause  to  regret  it" 

Louis  took  a  step  forward  and  laid  the  papers  he 
held  upon  the  man's  desk. 

"  I  came  here  to  follow  instructions,  Mr.  Sher- 
burne, and  with  the  determination  to  devote  my  best 
energies  to  you  and  your  interests,  hoping  thus  to 


STEP  BY  STEP  231 

promote  my  own.  But  I  expected  to  receive  only 
honorable  instructions,  which  would  in  no  way  tend 
to  rob  me  of  my  self-respect " 

"  Bah !  Louis,  don't  preach,"  was  the  impatient 
interruption. 

"  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Sherburne,  I  had  no  intention 
of  reading  you  a  sermon,"  he  said,  flushing,  "  but 
this  much  more  I  must  say — I  will  never  lie,  or  steal, 
or  cheat,  to  make  money  for  myself  or  any  other  man. 
I  mean  to  rise  in  the  world.  I  mean  to  become  a  suc- 
cessful business  man;  but  I  will  never  build  up  my 
own  fortune  by  robbing  my  neighbor,  who  has  just 
as  much  right  to  a  share  of  the  good  things  of  life 
as  I  have." 


232  STEP  BY  STEP 


CHAPTER   XVII 

JOHN  SHERBURNE  sat  with  downcast  eyes  and 
clouded  brow  while  Louis  bravely  voiced  his  uncom- 
promising attitude  regarding  the  revolting  theory 
that  a  man  must  become  a  beast  of  prey  in  order  to 
make  his  life  a  success.  There  was  a  curious  ex- 
pression on  his  face,  too,  which  betrayed  that  he  was 
not  wholly  unmoved  by  the  noble-spirited  words  of 
the  young  man.  His  fluctuating  color  and  a  slight 
twitching  of  his  lips  told  that  there  was  yet  a  vital 
spark  remaining  in  a  conscience  repeatedly  cauter- 
ized by  willful  and  persistent  wrongdoing. 

But  as  Louis  ceased  speaking  Mr.  Sherburne  threw 
back  his  head  with  a  restive  air,  while  his  lips  parted 
in  a  sneer  that  unpleasantly  revealed  his  strong  and 
still  perfect  teeth. 

"  So  you  expect  to  go  through  life  unsmirched  by 
human  frailties !  "  he  caustically  retorted.  "  Truly, 
you  have  set  a  high  standard  for  yourself.  It  all 
sounds  very  fine,  Arnold,"  he  went  on  coldly,  but 
with  an  underlying  thrill  of  anger  in  his  tone,  "  and 
it  is,  perhaps,  what  I  might  have  expected  from  you ; 
but  when  you  presume  to  criticise  and  combat  estab- 
lished methods  and  systems,  which  the  smartest  busi- 
ness men  of  the  world  have  indorsed,  you  have  set 
yourself  against  a  mighty  and  resistless  tide.  I  don't 
deny  that  there  is  an  element  of  sharp  practice  in 


STEP  BY   STEP  233 

my  business ;  but  I  am  no  worse  than  mj  neighbors, 
and,  mark  my  words,  young  man,  you  will  yet  be 
driven  to  use  your  own  wits  or  you  will  never  succeed 
in  life." 

"  If  by  using  my  wits  you  mean  taking  a  dishonor- 
able advantage  of  others,  I  shall  indeed  never  know 
the  import  of  the  word  success,"  Louis  returned  in 
an  inflexible  tone.  "  I  would  rather  possess  the  con- 
sciousness that  I  am  an  honest  man  than  all  the 
money  in  Chicago !  " 

"  No  doubt  that  is  a  very  praiseworthy  sentiment ; 
but  you  can't  live  up  to  it  and  amount  to  anything — 
nobody  can  the  way  the  world  is  going  these  days," 
said  Mr.  Sherburne  sharply. 

"  I  am  going  to  try,"  was  the  briefly  quiet  response. 

"  But  don't  you  believe  that  people  should  receive 
in  proportion  to  their  ability — that  some  kinds  of 
labor  and  talent  are  worth  more  than  others,  and 
those  who  incur  heavy  responsibilities  and  large  risks 
should  reap  accordingly  ?  "  demanded  the  broker. 

"  Yes ;  but  that  is  a  principle  which,  because  there 
is  no  organized  way  of  justly  enforcing  it,  is  subject 
to  unlimited  abuse,"  said  Louis  thoughtfully.  "  For 
instance :  a  college  friend  of  mine,  who  was  working 
his  own  way  and  having  the  hardest  kind  of  a  grind, 
got  a  cinder  in  his  eye.  We  went  to  a  near-by  drug- 
store for  help,  but  the  druggist  failed  to  remove  it 
and  directed  us  to  a  noted  specialist  around  the  cor- 
ner. We  sought  him,  and  in  less  than  two  minutes 
the  offending  particle  was  dislodged.  My  friend 
drew  out  his  wallet  and  asked  what  was  to  pay. 


234  STEP  BY  STEP 

'  Ten  dollars.'  '  I  can't  do  it,'  said  Bob;  '  it's  too 
much.1  All  he  had  in  the  world  just  then  was  a  five- 
dollar  bill  and  a  little  change.  '  That  is  my  price,' 
frigidly  returned  the  great  man.  I  indignantly  oame 
to  the  rescue  with  the  result  that  the  specialist  took 
Bob's  bill,  yet  made  him  feel  like  a  beggar  as  he  paid 
it,  when  one  dollar  would  have  been  ample  remuner- 
ation for  the  service.  Another  case :  A  surgeon  per- 
formed an  operation  which  took  exactly  one  hour  of 
his  time  and  demanded  a  thousand  dollars  as  his 
fee" 

"  But  that  was  for  skill — the  '  know  how ' — and 
the  responsibility.  Besides,  professional  men  spend 
years  and  a  good  deal  of  money  preparing  for  their 
work,"  opposed  Mr.  Sherburne. 

"  True,  the  skill  and  responsibility  were  worth  a 
great  deal  in  this  case,  and  the  surgeon  should  have 
been  paid  accordingly;  but  the  amount  charged  was 
extortion.  Yet  such  unjust  demands  as  these  are 
not  to  be  compared  to  many  swindling  schemes  that 
are  continually  multiplying  to  rob  not  only  the  un- 
wary rich,  but  hard-working  men  and  women,  of  their 
all,  and  fill  the  pockets  of  sharpers.  It  is  a  kind  of 
success — if  it  can  be  so  termed — that  I  do  not  desire, 
and  I  believe  there  are  men  who,  to-day,  are  making 
good  money  honestly.  They  may  not  get  rich  as  fast 
as  those  who  sell  bogus  stocks,  and  overreach  people 
in  many  other  ways ;  but,  with  what  they  do  accumu- 
late, they  at  least  have  a  clean  conscience.  Mr.  Sher- 
burne, I  am  going  to  oast  my  lot  in  with  that  happier 
minority." 


STEP  BY   STEP  235 

As  Louis  ceased  speaking  Mr.  Sherburne  sprang 
to  his  feet  and  nervously  paced  the  length  of  the  room 
three  or  four  times,  for  not  a  few  of  the  young  man's 
arrows  had  shot  home  with  stinging  effect,  and  a 
sudden  longing  swept  over  his  heart  He  realized 
that  a  great  opportunity  had  presented  itself — not 
only  to  right  a  great  wrong,  but  to  abandon  the  dan- 
gerous craft  in  which  he  had  so  long  sailed  the  treach- 
erous seas  of  speculation;  change  his  questionable 
methods,  ally  himself  with  this  clean,  enterprising, 
straightforward  fellow,  and  so  eilence  forever  the 
crafty  demon  within  him,  and  add  one  more  to  the 
"  happier  minority  "  who  would  help  to  make  the 
world  a  better  and  a  brighter  place. 

Secretly  he  was  often  weary  of  his  life  and  its 
aims — love  of  excitement,  social  position,  and  the  in- 
satiable pursuit  of  wealth — for  they  were  evanescent, 
temporal ;  some  time  they  must  be  left  behind ;  then 
what  would  he  have  for  eternity  ? 

Arguments  of  this  nature  had  begun  to  haunt 
him  only  since  his  wife's  death  and  the  advent  of 
Martha  Wellington,  with  her  lofty  principles  and 
their  practical  application  in  her  daily  living;  her 
purity  of  thought,  integrity  of  purpose,  and  love  for 
humanity.  Were  they  not  more  to  be  desired  than 
all  his  gold  ? 

These  were  some  of  the  thoughts — messengers  from 
a  higher  atmosphere — which  now  flashed  through  his 
mind  as  he  restlessly  paced  his  office. 

He  longed  to  break  the  shackles  that  bound  him. 

Should  he  heed  this  inward  yearning,  newly  awak- 


236  STEP   BY   STEP 

ened  by  the  words  and  attitude  of  his  high-minded 
clerk  ? 

But  the  cost!  Confession,  humiliation,  and  tho 
surrender  of  the  golden  calf  he  had  worshiped  for 
a  lifetime! 

He  paused,  straightened  himself,  his  face  suddenly 
hardening;  then  he  wheeled  around  and  faced  his 
companion  again. 

"  Well  ?  "  Just  one  word,  questioningly  uttered, 
but  there  was  a  volume  of  meaning  in  it. 

Louis  understood. 

"  Yes,  it  will  be  better  so,"  he  said.  "  You  have 
your  systems  to  maintain.  I  have  my  honor  to  pre- 
serve. The  two  will  not  work  together,  and  I  shall 
have  to  find  a  berth  elsewhere." 

"  Very  well,  Arnold ;  just  as  you  please,"  Mr. 
Sherburne  cooily  returned.  He  resumed  his  seat, 
opened  his  check-book,  and  made  out  a  check  for  the 
amount  of  Louis'  salary  to  date. 

The  young  man  quietly  put  his  desk  in  order, 
gathering  together  what  few  things  belonged  to  him 
personally,  then  reached  for  his  hat  to  go. 

"  This,  I  believe,  will  square  accounts  between  us," 
his  employer  observed,  pushing  the  slip  of  paper  to- 
ward Louis.  "  It  is  rather  short  notice,  however," 
he  supplemented  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  But  I  cannot  follow  the  instructions  you  have 
given  me  for  to-day,  Mr.  Sherburne;  still,  if  there 
is  any  other  work  or  writing  you  wish  done,  I  will 
gladly  remain  until  you  can  get  some  one  else,"  Louis 
obligingly  replied. 


:p 


STEP  BY   STEP  237 

"  Xo ;  it  is  this  special  matter  which  presses  just 
now ;  so,  if  you  can't  attend  to  that,  we  may  as  well 
cry  quits  first  as  last,"  was  the  curt  response. 

Louis  picked  up  the  check,  read  the  amount, 
thought  a  moment,  then  transferred  it  to  his  wallet. 
He  believed  he  had  honestly  earned  it;  for,  although 
he  had  known  for  some  time  that  Mr.  Sherburne's 
methods  were  not  always  honorable,  he  had  not,  up 
to  that  time,  been  obliged  to  mix  in  them  in  any  way. 

He  thanked  him  courteously,  then  inquired,  as  he 
drew  on  his  gloves: 

"  Can  I  do  anything  for  you,  sir,  on  my  way  down 
town  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  you ;  good  morning,  Arnold,"  and  the 
summarily  dismissed  clerk  politely  responded,  and 
went  his  way. 

Once  out  upon  the  street  Louis  felt  almost  dazed 
by  the  suddenness  of  the  change  in  his  prospects. 
During  the  last  few  months  life  had  begun  to  look 
very  bright  to  him,  because  he  believed  he  was  well 
started  upon  a  promising  career,  and  he  had  put  all 
his  energy,  all  his  enthusiasm  into  his  work;  and 
now  he  was  an  outcast — an  outcast  from  choice  and 
principle,  it  is  true,  and  he  had  not  a  single  regret 
for  the  step  he  had  taken. 

But  the  situation  was  not  inspiriting,  and  for  a 
block  or  two  he  looked  grave  and  somewhat  anxious. 
Then  his  face  lighted. 

"  This  won't  do,"  he  said,  giving  himself  a  shake, 
"  and  the  old  rule  will  work  as  well  now  as  it  ever  did 


238  STEP  BY  STEP 

— '  God  will  take  care  of  it,'  and  I'm  euro  there  is 
a  place  and  work  for  me  somewhere." 

He  knew  that  he  was  more  than  welcome  to  remain 
with  Mr.  Richards  until  something  favorable  offered, 
and  that  his  friend  would  use  his  influence  in  every 
possible  way  to  aid  him  in  his  search.  But  his  cheeks 
flamed  hotly  as  this  thought  presented  itself  to  him. 

"  I  cannot  be  dependent  upon  him  any  longer,  and 
I  will  not  take  my  troubles  to  anyone,"  he  said,  with 
a  resolute  tightening  of  his  lips.  "  I  will  say  nothing 
about  this  until  after  I  get  located  again." 

So  he  went  and  came  as  usual  for  the  next  few 
days,  while  he  spent  his  time  studying  the  newspapers 
and  answering  advertisements. 

It  seemed  a  thankless  task,  however,  and  he  began 
to  carry  a  heavy  heart  before  the  week  was  out,  as  he 
was  curtly  turned  away  from  place  after  place.  He 
did  not  go  to  see  Miss  Wellington,  as  usual,  for  he 
knew  she  would  be  quick  to  discern  that  things  were 
not  going  well  with  him,  and  he  did  not  wish  to 
burden  her.  He  felt  quite  sure  that  Mr.  Sherburne 
had  not  informed  her  of  the  break  between  them,  be- 
cause he  knew  he  would  have  heard  from  her  imme- 
diately if  such  had  been  the  case. 

One  morning  he  found  this  brief  but  comprehen- 
sive advertisement  in  one  of  the  dailies : 

"  WANTED — To  fill  a  vacancy,  an  active,  honest 
young  man ;  good  penman,  good  accountant,  and  not 
afraid  to  rough  it.  Apply  in  person  to  J.  Bush- 
kirk,  No.  40 St." 


STEP  BY  STEP  239 

"  That  means  hard  work  and  close  application," 
mused  Louis,  as  he  read  it  over  the  second  time. 
:'  The  man  who  inserted  it  is  a  straightforward  char- 
acter— knows  what  he  wants,  and  isn't  given  to  min- 
cing matters.  I  like  the  sound  of  it,  and  I'll  look 
it  up." 

He  at  once  bent  his  steps  toward  the  locality  and 
address  given,  and  finally  walked  into  a  modest  of- 
fice on  the  ground  floor  of  an  unpretentious  building, 
which  bore  over  the  entrance  the  equally  unassuming 
sign :  "  J.  Bushkirk,  Lumber." 

There  were  several  clerks  in  the  room,  of  one  of 
whom  Louis  inquired  for  the  proprietor.  He  was 
directed  to  an  inner  office  at  the  rear,  and  presently 
found  himself  in  the  presence  of  a  vigorous,  middle- 
aged,  shrewd-looking  man,  who  glanced  up  alertly 
from  the  pile  of  letters  and  bills  on  the  desk  before 
him  as  Louis  entered. 

"  Good  morning,"  he  brusquely  observed,  while  his 
keen  glance  searched  the  face  of  the  young  man. 
"  What  can  I  do  for  you?  " 

"  I  have  come  to  inquire  about  this  ad.  I  am  out 
of  a  position  and  in  search  of  one,"  said  Louis,  com- 
ing directly  to  the  point,  at  the  same  time  laying  the 
neatly  clipped  paragraph  before  the  gentleman. 

"  Well,  can  you  fill  the  bill  ?  "  bluntly  demanded 
the  lumber  merchant,  without  removing  his  piercing 
eyes  from  the  prepossessing  young  applicant 

Louis'  white,  even  teeth  gleamed  for  an  instant 
in  a  smile  of  amusement. 

"  That  remains  to  be  proven,  sir,"  he  respectfully 


240  STEP  BY   STEP 

returned,  while,  with  his  fountain  pen,  he  rapidly 
wrote  his  name  and  address  upon  a  leaf  from  his 
note-book  and  laid  it  beside  the  advertisement 
"  There  is  a  specimen  of  my  penmanship ;  I  am  fairlj 
good  at  figures;  honest  I  certainly  wish  and  intend 
to  be,  and  I  am  not  afraid  of  hard  work  that  will 
bring  me  a  just  equivalent." 

"  That  is  straight  from  the  shoulder,  young  man," 
said  the  merchant,  an  appreciative  twinkle  leaping 
into  his  eyes.  "  I  like  plain  talk.  Now  I  am  a  lum- 
ber dealer,  as  you  doubtless  observed  when  you  came 
in.  I  have  vessels  that  are  constantly  bringing  in 
large  loads  from  the  forests  of  Michigan,  where  I 
have  several  sawmills  running  day  and  night.  I 
am  in  need  of  a  clerk,  and  he  will  find  plenty  to  do, 
both  in  the  office  and  out;  for  there  are  times  when 
I  want  him  to  go  into  the  woods  and  mills  with  me 
for  a  week  or  two  at  a  time,  and  where  we  have  to 
put  up  with  limited  accommodations  and  homely 
fare.  It  is  tough  work  at  times,  especially  when  the 
weather  is  rough;  yet  there's  a  spice  of  adventure 
and  novelty  about  it  that  might  not  be  objectionable 
to  the  right  kind  of  fellow.  Now,  if  you  wish  to  give 
the  berth  a  trial,  and  can  show  me  satisfactory  cre- 
dentials, we'll  talk  in/ore  about  the  details.  Oh, 
by  the  way,  I  forgot  about  the  '  just  equivalent,'  "  he 
interposed,  with  a  comical  quirk  of  an  eye.  "  The 
pay  will  be  fifteen  dollars  a  week  for  the  first  three 
months.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  if  everything  goes 
O.  K.,  I'll  raise  you  according  to  your  ability. 
That's  all.  Now  it's  up  to  you." 


STEP  BY   STEP  241 

Louis  liked  the  man  in  spite  of  his  brusqueness.  He 
knew  there  was  good  money  to  be  made  in  the  lum- 
ber business,  and  the  place,  even  though  the  pay  was 
small  and  the  work  rough  and  laborious,  might  lead 
to  something  very  desirable  in  the  future. 

He  arrived  at  quick  conclusions  after  a  minute  of 
rapid  thinking,  during  which  his  companion  con- 
tinued to  watch  him  curiously. 

"  I  think  I  would  like  to  come  to  you,  Mr.  Bush- 
kirk,"  he  said.  "  I  will  try  to  make  myself  useful 
to  you  for  three  months,  and  we  will  both  know  by 
that  time  whether  I  can  meet  your  requirements, 
and  whether  I  shall  find  it  to  my  interest  to  go  on. 
I  can  give  you  for  reference  William  Richards, 
attorney " 

"  I  know  him,"  the  man  broke  in,  a  note  of  satis- 
faction in  his  tones.  "  He  has  been  my  lawyer  for 
years — a  fine,  solid  man  he  is,  too." 

"  He  is  my  guardian,"  quietly  observed  Louis. 

"  That  is  all  I  need  to  know,  Mr.  Arnold.  Now, 
when  will  you  start  in  ? "  and  the  merchant's  cordial 
tone  indicated  that  he  was  well  pleased,  even  anxious 
to  put  his  new  clerk  to  the  test 

"  When  will  you  need  me  ?  "  Louis  inquired. 

"  Now — this  minute ;  I'm  driven  to  death  with 
orders.  But  I  can  wait  a  day  or  two  if " 

"  Xo,  sir.  I  have  nothing  to  do,  and  I  would  be 
only  too  glad  to  begin  ( this  minute,'  "  the  young 
man  interposed,  with  smiling  alacrity,  "  and  you  can 
set  me  at  something  as  soon  as  you  please." 

"  That's  the  talk,"  rejoined  Mr.  Bushkirk  briskly, 


242  STEP  BY   STEP 

adding,  as  he  began  to  shuffle  together  Borne  papers: 
"  There's  a  desk  for  you  over  by  the  window,  and 
here  is  a  pile  of  orders  I  want  inventoried  in  this 
book.  Go  ahead  now  and  let's  see  what  you  can 
do." 

So  Louis  entered  at  once  upon  his  labors,  and 
found  that  there  was  indeed  plenty  to  do. 

He  went  home  that  night  buoyant  and  happy. 
After  dinner  he  gave  his  friends  a  history  of  the 
experiences  of  the  past  week,  and  was  warmly  com- 
mended by  them  for  the  stand  he  had  taken  with 
Mr.  Sherburne. 

"  But  why  did  you  not  confide  in  me,  Louis,  and 
let  me  help  you  ?  "  Mr.  Richards  inquired,  with  a 
note  of  reproof  in  his  voice.  "  You  must  not  ignore 
your  friends  when  you  are  in  trouble." 

"  I  wanted  to  try  my  own  wings,  sir,"  said  Louis, 
smiling  frankly  into  his  guardian's  face.  "  I  have 
my  own  row  to  hoe — you  have  been  more  than  good 
to  me  all  these  years — and  the  sooner  I  begin  to  look 
out  for  myself  the  sooner  I  shall  ascertain  what  I 
am  good  for." 

"  I  like  your  independence,  my  boy,"  approvingly 
replied  his  friend. 

"  And  I  like  your  integrity,  Louis,"  Mrs.  Rich- 
ards here  remarked,  giving  him  an  affectionate 
glance.  "  You  know  we  are  told :  '  He  that  walketh 
uprightly  walketh  surely.' ' 

"  But  what  does  a  man  really  amount  to  if  he  isn't 
honest  ?  "  the  young  man  gravely  responded.  "  No- 
body respects  him.  He  cannot  respect  himself,  for 


STEP   BY   STEP  243 

what  he  haa  accumulated  by  overreaching  others 
doesn't  actually  belong  to  him,  and,  like  Christian 
with  his  pack,  he  must  continually  carry  that  con- 
sciousne'ss  around  with  him  as  long  as  he  lives.  To 
my  thinking  it  doesn't  pay." 

"  Neither  has  such  an  individual  any  right  to 
claim  that  he  is  a  man,"  observed  Mrs.  Richards  re- 
flectively. 

"  What  would  you  call  him,  Helen  ?  "  inquired 
Farmer  Weston,  who  with  his  good  wife  had  come 
to  spend  the  winter  with  their  daughter. 

"  '  God  made  man  in  his  own  image,'  "  she  quoted, 
"  and  to  my  understanding  one  is  never  a  {  man  '  only 
in  so  far  as  he  is  Godlike — that  is,  as  he  manifests 
or  reflects  the  graces  and  attributes  of  God." 

Louis  glanced  at  her,  nodded  and  smiled,  thus  in- 
dicating his  full  sympathy  with  her  concept  of  man, 
and  with  a  look  in  his  dark  eyes  that  reminded  Mr. 
Weston  of  certain  discussions  he  had  with  him  as  a 
boy,  and  which  had  begun,  even  then,  to  weaken  his 
old  theological  armor  at  certain  points. 

"  Then  your  concept  of  man,  Helen,  is  character, 
not  a  personality,"  he  observed,  after  considering  her 
definition  for  a  moment  or  two. 

"  Exactly.  The  term  '  man  '  has  been  sadly  per- 
verted," she  replied.  "  We  speak  of  the  '  nobility 
of  England  ' ;  but  what  a  corruption  of  the  title !  It 
certainly  is  a  misnomer.  There  are  doubtless  some 
good  men  among  the  nobility,  but  many  in  its  ranks 
are  anything  but  truly  noble." 

"  Then,  if  perfect  character  alone  was  God's  ere- 


244  STEP  BY   STEP 

ation  which  He  named  man,  what,  according  to  your 
theory,  are  we  who  inhabit  this  mundane  sphere  ?  " 
inquired  the  farmer. 

"  We  are  " — she  nodded  roguishly  at  him  as  she 
paused  to  give  emphasis  to  her  words — "  supposi- 
titious." 

The  man  sat  erect  as  a  new  thought  came  to  him. 

"  Make-believes  ?  "  he  said,  as  if  he  had  been  jarred 
a  trifle. 

"  That  is  just  what  we  are — pretentious  atoms 
who  have  assumed  a  title  that  does  not  rightly  belong 
to  us,"  his  daughter  returned,  her  lovely  face  grow- 
ing earnest  and  thoughtful.  She  picked  up  a  pencil 
from  the  table,  and  making  a  character  upon  a  piece 
of  paper,  passed  it  to  him. 

"  What  is  that,  father  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"  The  number  two,"  he  answered. 

"  Is  it  ?  "  she  said,  with  lifted  brows. 

"  Well,  to  be  exact,  it  is  the  figure  two,"  he  re- 
turned, with  a  smile.  "  Ah !  "  he  added  alertly  with 
the  next  breath,  "  I  get  your  point  now.  You  make 
a  distinction  between  the  figure  and  the  number.  The 
figure  stands  for  your  t  supposititious '  man,  your 
1  pretentious  atom  ' ;  the  number  represents  God's  per- 
fect man,  for  a  number  can  never  be  anything  but 
perfect,  while  figures  can  be  whatever  you  happen  to 
make  them,  and  they  are  always  the  counterfeit, 
never  the  real  thing.  Now  to  carry  the  illustration 
a  little  further,  a  number  never  becomes  a  figure,  and 
vice  versa.  How  are  you  going  to  make  that  prac- 


STEP  BY   STEP  245 

tical  in  human  affairs,  Helen?     How  are  you  going 
to  get  at  your  perfect  man  ?  " 

"  When  you  understand  what  numbers  really  are 
you  no  longer  need  the  figures  to  represent  them — 
you  erase  them,"  Mrs.  Richards  replied.  "  You 
might  hear  various  numbers  mentioned,  and  you 
would  never  fail  to  recognize  them  apart  from  their 
symbols.  In  the  same  way,  if  we  know  what  God's 
man  really  is  we  recognize  the  perfect  character  as 
man  rather  than  this  imperfect  physique,  which, 
eventually,  must  also  be  erased,  for  flesh  and  blood 
cannot  inherit  the  kingdom,  you  know.  But  there 
is  a  spark,  a  ray  of  divine  intelligence,  goodness  and 
love  in  every  human  consciousness;  and  as  this  is 
allowed  to  grow — to  control  and  transform  that 
consciousness — the  full  stature  of  the  perfect  man 
finally  appears." 

^"  But  how "  Mr.  Weston  began  in  a  perplexed 

tone,  when  his  daughter  laughingly  interrupted  him. 

"  Father  dear,  don't  try  to  go  any  deeper  until 
you  have  thoroughly  sounded  the  waters  you  are  in," 
*  she  said.  "  You  might  get  beyond  your  depth  and  lose 
your  bearjjctfgt  j^nf  VviX9ur  sounding-line  busy — keep 
oncost  seemed  like  coming  7o'1i£Aand  the  ' little  bo°V 
lira  so  thoughtful  of  her.  She 

you  ?  "  observed  Mr.  Weston'^af  teT  a"short~§ilciioe. 

"  Yes ;  although  it  is  but  a  very  small  part  of  it," 
replied  his  daughter,  with  luminous  eyes. 

"  Well — on  the  whole,  I  believe  I'm  growing  to 
like  it,"  the  man  asserted,  to  the  astonishment  of  his 


246  STEP  BY   STEP 

listeners.  "  That  there  is  good  logic  in  it  I  can't 
deny ;  and,  with  such  conscientious  exponents  as  you, 
Louis  and  Miss  Wellington  are,  it  is  certainly  at- 
tractive from  the  viewpoint  of  character-building. 
You've  cracked  some  nuts  for  me  to-night,  Helen,  on 
which  I've  been  hammering  for  years  without  getting 
at  their  kernel." 

"  Yes,  and  there  are  a  good  many  more  in  your 
theological  basket,  father,  that  will  have  to  come  un- 
der the  hammer  of  truth  in  the  same  way,"  was  the 
laughing  retort. 

I — shouldn't — wonder,"  he  gravely  responded, 
-vhich  was  an  unlooked-for  and  rather  startling  ad- 
missio  i  coming  from  such  a  source.  Then  turning 
10  Louis,  with  a  gleam  of  mingled  affection  and  pride 
in  his  eyes,  he  continued :  "  Your  definition  of  an 
honest  man,  my  boy,  has  led  into  quite  a  metaphysical 
discussion.  You  have  great  cause  to  be  grateful  for 
those  early  years  that  you  spent  with  that  good 
woman — Miss  Martha  Wellington." 


f4*t  number  represents  < . 
.1  number  can  never  be  anything  li 
oan  !      '-1  ">tever  yov  bn>»    ^  t 


STEP   BY   STEP  247 


CHAPTER    XV11I 

DUEING  the  week  that  had  elapsed  since  Louis 
severed  his  connection  with  Mr.  Sherburne,  some 
interesting  and  even  startling  incidents  had  oc- 
curred to  demand  that  gentleman's  attention. 

In  the  first  place,  Josephine  Ashton  arrived,  and 
with  her  advent  the  house  began  to  seem  a  differ- 
ent place.  It  certainly  was  very  enjoyable  to  have 
a  bright,  pretty  girl,  full  of  life  and  spirits,  around, 
and  Mr.  Sherburne  manifested  his  delight  in  every 
possible  way. 

He  had  previously  given  orders  to  have  two 
rooms,  on  the  same  floor  with  Miss  Wellington, 
arranged  for  her  use,  and  had  exhibited  far  %e 
interest  in  making  them  attractive  than  he  had 
ever  shown  before  in  anything  relating  to  his  home 
since  the  loss  of  his  wife. 

Josephine  was  keenly  appreciative  of  his  kind- 
ness, and  told  him,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  that  it 
almost  seemed  like  coming  to  her  own  home  to  have 
him  so  thoughtful  of  her.  She  appeared  to  be  de- 
lighted to  find  Miss  Wellington  at  the  head  of  the 
house. 

"  I  began  to  love  you,  Miss  Wellington,  when  I 
first  met  you,  out  in  Colorado,  during  my  last  visit 
to  auntie ;  and  now  it  gives  me  a  real  cozy  feeling 


248  STEP   BY   STEP 

to  have  you  here,"  she  told  the  housekeeper  when 
she  went  to  her  room  to  have  a  little  chat  before 
going  to  bed  on  the  night  of  her  arrival. 

"  Thank  you,  dear.  I  can  understand  that  it 
would  be  a  little  hard  for  you  to  find  an  utter  stran- 
ger here,  and,  as  I  am  fond  of  young  people,  I  have 
been  looking  forward  with  pleasure  to  your  com- 
ing," Miss  Wellington  replied  with  a  genial  smile. 

Mr.  Sherburne  seemed  to  grow  young  with  her 
advent,  and  exerted  himself  to  give  her  a  good  time, 
while  he  seldom  returned  from  his  business  at  night 
without  bringing  her  some  token  of  remembrance. 

Finally  Josephine  laughingly  told  him  he  must 
stop,  or  he  would  spoil  her  for  earning  her  own 
living,  for,  as  a  hard-working  schoolma'am  with  a 
moderate  salary,  she  could  not  afford  to  indulge  in 
such  luxuries. 

"  Well,  I  haven't  got  track  of  any  school  for  you 
yet,"  he  told  her,  a  sly  smile  hovering  about  his  lips. 
Then  he  added  as  if  the  thought  had  just  struck 
him :  "  You  have  been  at  your  books  for  a  long  time, 
Josie.  Suppose  you  rest  and  make  me  a  visit  for  a 
year  or  so,  and  we'll  '  paint  the  town  red,'  as  the 
boys  say." 

"  Why,  Uncle  John,  what  a  tempter  you  are !  " 
she  retorted  in  laughing  reproof.  "  I'm  afraid  by 
the  time  the  year  was  out  you  would  have  indulged 
me  to  the  point  where  I  should  not  want  to  teach  at 
all.  No,  sir,  I  have  got  to  be  up  and  doing.  I  am 
getting  quite  anxious  to  know  how  it  feels  to  be 
earning  money  for  oneself." 


STEP  BY   STEP  249 

One  evening,  during  dinner,  she  turned  to  Miss 
Wellington  and  remarked,  her  color  deepening  as 
she  did  so: 

"  I  have  heard  that  Louis  Arnold  has  coine  to 
Chicago  to  live.  Doesn't  he  ever  come  to  see  you  ?  " 

A  slight  cloud  flitted  over  Miss -Wellington's  face 
at  the  question. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  he  used  to  come  every  few  days ; 
but  it  is  more  than  a  week  now  since  I  have  seen 
him,  and  I  am  beginning  to  wonder  why.  Louis  is 
a  clerk  in  your  uncle's  office.  Has  he  not  told 
you  ? "  Then  turning  to  Mr.  Sherburne  she  in- 
quired :  "  How  is  my  boy  getting  on  ?  " 

Mr.  Sherburne  flushed.  He  had  imagined  that 
the  young  man  had  confided  in  Miss  Wellington 
before  this,  and  had  expected  she  would  speak  of 
the  change  and  comment  upon  the  stand  he  had 
taken. 

He  now  felt  obliged  to  explain  the  situation, 
which  he  did  in  a  way  to  make  it  appear  that  Louis 
had  been  squeamish  and  hypercritical  in  his  judg- 
ment of  his  business  methods.  He  prophesied,  in 
conclusion,  that  Louis  would  find  he  had  a  hard  row 
to  hoe  if  he  expected  to  go  through  life  and  never 
strain  a  point  when  he  came  in  contact  with  other 
business  men. 

There  was  an  awkward  pause  when  he  concluded. 
Miss  Wellington's  face  wore  an  inscrutable  expres- 
sion, and  Josephine  looked  grave  upon  learning  that 
her  guardian  and  Louis  were  at  variance. 

She  had  been  wondering  why  he  did  not  call. 


250  STEP  BY  STEP 

She  had  been  looking  forward  to  meeting  him 
again,  and  now  she  began  to  fear  that  this  break 
might  keep  him  away  altogether. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  *  straining  a  point '  ?  " 
Miss  Wellington  finally  inquired.  "  Do  you  mean 
to  imply  that  a  man  cannot  be  successful  in  busi- 
ness without  being  dishonest  ?  " 

"That  doesn't  sound  very  well,  does  it?"  Mr. 
Sherburne  returned  with  a  forced  laugh,  and  be- 
etowing  a  covert  glance  upon  his  ward.  "  But,  in 
these  days  of  close  competition  and  fierce  struggles 
to  make  money,  I  believe — and  I  have  heard  others 
say  the  same  thing — it  is  next  to  impossible  to  get 
along  without  using  some  sharp  practice  in  busi- 
ness. Now,  Miss  Wellington,  will  quote  Scripture 
to  me,"  he  concluded  turnii,  5  to  Josephine  and 
trying  to  make  light  of  the  subject. 

"  I  certainly  shall,"  promptly  responded  the 
housekeeper  in  a  positive  tone,  yet  with  a  gentleness 
which  robbed  her  words  of  any  intentional  venom. 
"  '  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  "  Ye 
shall  not  steal,  neither  deal  falsely,  neither  lie  one 
to  another.  Thou  shalt  not  defraud  thy  neighbor 
nor  rob  him."  What  are  we  going  to  do  with 
such  commands  as  these?  Can  they  be  violated 
with  impunity?  Men  may  flourish  for  a  little  sea- 
son upon  ill-gotten  wealth — may  think  they  have 
achieved  a  notable  triumph  in  attaining  financial 
success;  but  have  they,  really?  Is  there  any  real 
satisfaction  in  heaping  up  gold  by  robbing  one's 
neighbor?  Surely  not,  for  a  day  of  reckoning  is 


STEP  BY   STEP  251 

inevitable  when  every  wrong  must  be  expiated." 

As  he  listened  John  Sherburne  seemed  to  see 
unfolding  before  him  a  panorama  of  his  whole  life 
and  its  results.  In  his  youth  he  had  begun  to 
dream  of  becoming  a  rich  man.  Later  he  had 
vowed  he  would  fulfil  that  dream,  and  he  had 
made  good  that  vow.  He  had  become  a  rich  man, 
according  to  the  world's  interpretation  of  the  term, 
and  he  had  spent  lavishly,  gratifying  his  every  de- 
sire and  believed  himself  satisfied  with  results, 
happy  in  his  possessions;  and  prided  himself  upon 
being  the  wonderful  magician  who  had  achieved 
it.  Never  until  the  day  of  his  first  meeting  with 
Louis  had  he  viewed  his  prosperity  with  anything 
save  the  utmost  complacency.  Then  as  he  had 
looked  into  the  boy's  great  brown  eyes,  so  like  an- 
other pair  he  recalled  but  too  well,  there  had  arisen 
a  ghostly  memory  which  had  never  ceased  to  haunt 
him. 

From  that  hour  there  had  gradually  crept  into 
his  consciousness  a  sense  of  dissatisfaction  and  un- 
rest; while  an  accusing  voice  seemed  continually  de- 
manding: "John  Sherburne,  how  have  you  attained 
the  goal  you  have  so  coveted  ?  " 

To-day  that  question  had  been  answered  in  words 
of  Holy  Writ.  He  knew  that  he  had  "  stolen,"  he 
had  "  dealt  falsely,"  he  had  "  defrauded  and 
robbed  his  neighbor." 

Not  as  a  common  thief,  however,  who  could  be 
arraigned  and  convicted :  oh,  no ;  he  had  done  noth- 
ing so  plebeian  as  that.  The  gigantic  schemes, 


252  STEP  BY   STEP 

wholesale  swindling  and  shrewd  manipulations 
which  the  world  winks  at,  so  long  as  the  operator 
makes  no  false  moves  and  evades  the  law,  could 
not  be  classed  under  that  ugly  term. 

Yet  he  could  recall  instances  of  men  ruined  in 
business  and  thus  robbed  of  the  ability  to  make  a 
living;  of  the  widow  and  fatherless  defrauded  by 
bogus  investments;  of  clerks  and  laborers  made 
penniless,  their  hard  earnings  swallowed  up  by 
diabolical  "  methods  "  and  "  systems  "  cunningly 
devised  to  feed  his  own  insatiable  greed  and  that 
of  others  like  him. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  retrospective  view,  and  he 
found  himself  wondering  if  those  last  words  uttered 
by  Miss  Wellington — "  A  day  of  reckoning  is  in- 
evitable, when  every  wrong  must  be  expiated  " 
would  ever  cease  to  beat  their  ominous  refrain 
upon  his  brain. 

"  You  are  very  uncompromising  in  your  attitude, 
Miss  Wellington,"  Mr.  Sherburne  observed  in  a 
would-be-tolerant  tone.  Then,  feeling  uncomfort- 
ably conscious  of  the  clear,  grave  eyes  regarding 
him,  he  turned  to  his  niece  to  avoid  them,  and 
smilingly  inquired: 

"  What  have  you  to  say  upon  the  subject,  Josie  ?  " 

Josephine  colored  vividly  as  she  replied: 

"  It  was  sharp  practice  that  ruined  papa,  you 
know,  Uncle  John.  Those  agents  just  mesmerized 
him  into  buying  a  lot  of  that  mining  stock,  and  he 
lost  every  dollar  that  lie  put  into  it." 

"True;  that  was  a  very  unfortunate  experience, 


STEP   BY   STEP  253 

my  dear,"  Mr.  Sherburne  returned  while  he  ner- 
vously crumbled  a  bit  of  bread  with  his  fingers. 
"  But,"  he  added,  "  your  father  should  not  have 
trusted  his  own  judgment;  he  should  have  had  ad- 
vice that  I  would  gladly  have  given  him." 

"  He  realized  that  when  it  was  too  late ;  but  he 
never  got  over  it,"  said  Josephine  sadly. 

"  Well,  it  is  pretty  hard  on  you,  too,"  observed 
the  gentleman,  regarding  her  affectionately. 

"  I  would  rather  be  as  I  am  than  in  the  place  of 
those  brokers;  they  can't  be  very  happy,"  gravely 
rejoined  the  girl. 

"  They  don't  care  a  rap.  They  were  after  the 
money  and  they  got  it."  Mr.  Sherburne  did  not 
realize  the  full  significance  of  his  remark  until  it 
was  voiced.  Then  it  came  to  him,  with  an  inward 
shock,  that  out  of  his  own  mouth  he  had  condemned 
himself;  for,  all  his  life,  he  had  never  "cared  a  rap  " 
about  the  losses  of  his  victims  so  long  as  his  coffers 
were  filled.  But  he  changed  the  subject  after  a 
moment  or  two  of  awkward  silence,  and,  as  soon  as 
dinner  was  over,  went  directly  to  his  library,  where 
he  spent  a  very  uncomfortable  evening,  while  Jo- 
sephine and  Miss  Wellington  had  a  delightful  call 
from  Louis,  without  Mr.  Sherburne  suspecting  the 
young  man's  presence  in  the  house. 

John  Sherburne  did  not  sleep  well  after  retiring. 
That  ominous  refrain  about  the  "  inevitable  day  of 
reckoning  "  haunted  him  the  whole  night  through, 
and  he  arose  the  next  morning  nervous  and  irritable. 
It  galled  him  exceedingly,  too,  to  feel  that  he  had 


254  STEP  BY  STEP 

l>een  weighed  in  the  balance  and  found  wanting  by, 
Miss  Wellington  and  Josephine.  The  former  he 
thoroughly  respected,  the  latter  he  loved;  and  he 
shrank  from  forfeiting  the  esteem  of  either,  al- 
though he  knew  they  did  not  dream  to  what  extent 
he  had  carried  his  sharp  practices. 

But  he  had  a  very  good  day.  Business  was  brisk, 
and  certain  stocks  which  he  held  took  quite  a  leap, 
consequently  he  found  himself  in  a  much  better 
frame  of  mind  when  the  hour  for  closing  his  office; 
arrived  and  he  started  for  home. 

He  saw  his  car  just  rounding  the  corner  as  he' 
came  out  of  the  building,  so  had  to  wait  for  another. 
He  bought  a  paper  and  began  to  glance  over  the 
headlines.  While  thus  engaged  he  became  con- 
scious that  some  one  had  paused  beside  him  and  was 
regarding  him  curiously. 

With  an  impatient  shrug  he  turned  to  look  at  the 
man,  when  suddenly  everything  appeared  to  come 
to  a  stop.  His  heart,  his  pulse,  his  breath,  even  his 
sight  seemed  to  fail  him  as  he  stared  blankly  back 
into  the  eyes  that  were  bent  with  searching  scrutiny 
upon  his  face. 

"By  the  powers!  If  it  isn't  Nate  Judkins!  It's 
many  a  year  since  you  and  I  last  saw  each  other, 
and  you've  changed  so  I  hardly  knew  you,"  the 
stranger  burst  forth,  yet  with  a  note  of  doubt  in 
his  tones  which  the  other  was  quick  to  catch.  The 
sound  of  his  voice  broke  the  uncanny  spoil  that  had 
almost  paralyzed  the  broker,  and  things  began  to 
move  again. 


STEP  BY  STEP  255 

John  Sherburne  was  a  man  not  easily  thrown  off 
his  guard;  he  had  been  in  too  many  tight  places 
during  his  eventful  life  not  to  have  himself  pretty 
well  under  control,  even  midst  the  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances. Hence,  while  the  man  was  speaking, 
he  had  taken  a  rapid  survey  of  the  situation  from 
various  points  of  view.  His  self-poise  began  to  re- 
turn; and,  by  the  time  the  stranger  ceased  speaking, 
he  was  ready  to  cross  swords  and  defend  himself  to 
the  last  thrust. 

His  face  assumed  an  expression  of  well-bred  sur- 
prise. A  look  of  perplexity  clouded  his  eyes  as 
he  courteously  observed  in  his  blandest  tones: 

"  I  think,  sir,  you  have  made  a  mistake.  My  name 
is  Sherburne." 

"  Sherburne !  "  repeated  the  other  incredulously. 

"  Yes,  John  Sherburne."  Drawing  forth  one  of 
his  business  cards,  he  presented  it  to  the  man,  who, 
after  studying  it  a  moment,  lifted  his  glance  and 
searched  his  companion's  countenance  again. 

"  And  you  are  not  Nate  Judkins!  I  could  have 
sworn  you  were." 

"  No.    My  card  tells  you  who  I  am." 

"  And  were  you  ever  in  England? " 

John  Sherburne's  heart  gave  a  startled  leap. 
Should  he  admit  or  deny  the  fact?  Then,  as  a 
sudden  resolution  took  form  in  his  mind,  he  replied, 
with  an  air  of  candor,  not  unmixed  with  pride: 

"  Oh,  yes,  several  times.  More  than  that,  I  am  an 
Englishman  by  birth." 

"  Well,  this  beats  me  I  "  was  the  perplexed  re- 


256  STEP   BY   STEP 

joinder.  "  I  was  sure  you  were  the  man  I've  been 
looking  for  this  many  a  year." 

"  Such  mistakes  often  occur;  but  in  this  instance 
I  must  resemble  your  friend  to  a  marked  degree," 
said  Mr.  Sherburne,  with  an  assumption  of  good 
humor  that  was  still  more  misleading. 

"  You  do  and — you  don't.  You're  stouter,  and, 
of  course,  being  older  would  change  you.  Your  hair 
is  white,  and  his  was  reddish  brown  when  I  last  saw 
him;  while  you  have  the  air  and  look  of  a  swell, 
which  didn't  belong  to  him  at  all.  Still,  all  these 
changes  might  have  come  to  you  and  yet  you  might 
be  my  old  comrade1 " 

"Comrade!" 

"  Yes,  we  were  soldiers  in  the  same  company  in 
the  old  country." 

"  Really,  this  is  growing  exceedingly  interesting," 
observed  the  broker,  in  a  tone  of  well-assumed  sur- 
prise, yet  with  a  whitening  of  the  lips  beneath  his 
mustache. 

"  And — and  what  may  be  your  name,  if  you 
please  ? "  He  wondered  if  he  could  hear  it  and  pre- 
serve his  sorely  tested  aplomb. 

"  Dawson,  sir;  Joe  Dawson." 

"  Dawson — Dawson?  I  don't  think  I  ever  knew 
any  one  by  that  name.  So  you  were  once  an  English 
soldier!  That  is  a  singular  coincidence,  for  I  served 
as  captain  in  Her  Majesty's  Fifty-seventh  more  than 
thirty  years  ago." 

"  As  captain  in  the  Fifty-seventh !  "  repeated  the 
man,  with  a  sceptical  smile.  "  I'll  bet  you  are  Nate 


STEP  BY   STEP  257 

Judkins,  after  all,"  lie  added  with  sudden  assurance 
and  an  ominous  scowl;  "  and  if  I'm  right  then  you 
are  a " 

He  leaned  forward  and  breathed  the  last  word  in 
his  companion's  ear — a  word  which  it  took  all  John 
Sherburne's  fortitude  to  hear  without  betraying 
himself. 

But  the  next  moment  he  remarked  with  an  in' 
dulgent  smile: 

"  Well,  well,  my  friend,  you  seem  bent  upon 
changing  my  identity.  What  can  I  do  to  convince 
you  that  you  have  made  a  blunder?  Ah!" — as  if 
the  thought  had  but  just  occurred  to  him — "  per- 
haps if  you  could  see  the  official  discharge  of  Cap- 
tain John  Sherburne  it  might  prove  to  you  that 
I  am  not  the  man  you  seek." 

A  blank  look  settled  upon  the  stranger's  face 
at  this. 

"  If  you  could  show  me  that,  I — suppose  I'd  have 
to  give  in,"  he  reluctantly  admitted. 

"  Then  come  home  with  me,  Mr.  Dawson,  if  you 
have  the  time  to  spare,  and  you  shall  be  satisfied 
upon  that  point,"  said  Mr.  Sherburne,  with  per- 
suasive candor.  "  This  matter  might  as  well  be  dis- 
posed of  once  for  all,  for  that  was  an  ugly  name 
you  hurled  at  me  a  moment  ago,  and  it  might  be 
awkward  if  I  should  chance  to  meet  you  hereafter 
and  still  rest  under  the  ban  of  your  suspicion.  I  see 
an  uptown  car  is  coming,  and  we  will  take  it." 

He  had  spoken  with  a  cheerful  assurance  which 
he  was  far  from  feeling,  for  there  had  rushed  over 


258  STEP  BY   STEP 

him  a  sickening  sense  of  the  ruin,  the  shame  and 
ignominy  that  must  have  overtaken  him  if  he  had 
obeyed  his  recent  impulse  to  destroy  Captain  John 
Sherburne's  discharge  paper,  which,  on  the  night  of 
his  introduction  to  Louis,  he  had  feared  might  prove 
a  witness  against  him,  if  it  should  ever  come  to  light. 
Now  he  realized  that  upon  it  alone  depended  his 
salvation. 

Upon  arriving  home,  Mr.  Sherburne  conducted 
his  guest  directly  to  the  library  and  hospitably  or- 
dered a  bottle  of  wine  and  a  box  of  cigars  to  be 
brought.  Setting  these  before  Mr.  Dawson,  he  told 
him  to  help  himself  while  he  looked  up  the  docu- 
ment. Dawson,  with  the  eager  gleam  of  one  who 
loved  his  cups  in  his  eyes,  greedily  availed  himself 
of  his  opportunity,  quaffing  two  full  glasses  before 
his  host  returned  to  his  side  and  laid  the  important 
paper  before  him. 

"  There  you  are,"  Mr.  Sherburne  observed  in 
an  offhand  tone.  "  That  will  prove  to  you  that 
Captain  John  Sherburne  was  honorably  discharged 
from  Her  Majesty's  service  on  the  16th  of  October, 
18 — .  Take  your  time  to  examine  it." 

"Humph! — 'on  account  of  disability/'  mut- 
tered Mr.  Dawson,  reading  from  the  parchment. 
"  You  must  have  been  pretty  badly  off  to  get  this 
before  your  time  was  up." 

"Yes,  the  surgeons  said  there  was  no  hope;  but 
for  once  they  were  mistaken,  it  seems,  and  England 
lost  an  officer  in  the  early  part  of  his  career,"  ex- 
plained Mr.  Sherburne  as  he  helped  himself  to  a 


STEP  BY   STEP  259 

cigar  and  lighted  it. 

"  You  didn't  care  to  go  back  when  you  got  well?  " 
queried  his  companion. 

"  No,  I'd  had  enough  of  it ;  so  with  that  paper 
as  my  voucher  I  made  a  bee  line  for  this  country, 
to  try  my  fortune  here.  Not  very  patriotic  that — 
eh,  comrade? " 

''  Well,  hard  service  does  put  a  man's  patriotism 
to  the  test,"  Mr.  Dawson  admitted.  "I  suppose  there 
is  no  disputing  the  evidence  of  this,"  he  presently 
resumed  as  he  laid  the  discharge  upon  the  table  and 
poured  out  another  glass  of  wine  for  himself;  "  but 
I  swear  you  look  enough  like  Nate  Judkins  to  deceive 
his  own  mother." 

Mr.  Sherburne  deliberately  blew  a  ring  of  smoke 
from  his  mouth. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  run  across  your  comrade  some 
time  and  will  not  then  find  the  resemblance  so 
striking.  At  all  events,  you  will  not  be  liable  to 
make  the  same  mistake  again,"  he  quietly  remarked. 

Dawson  made  no  direct  reply,  but  his  eyes  studied 
the  face  opposite  him  with  a  look  which  was  not 
wholly  free  from  suspicion,  in  spite  of  the  evidence 
before  him. 

"  I'll  be  going  now,"  he  remarked  after  a  moment 
of  constrained  silence,  as  he  arose  and  set  down  his 
empty  glass.  "  Much  obliged  to  you  for  your  hos- 
pitality, captain,  and  good  luck  to  you." 

Mr.  Sherburne  accompanied  his  guest  to  the  door 
and  wished  him  "good  day,"  with  his  most  affable 
manner. 


26o  STEP   BY   STEP 


CHAPTER   XIX 

AFTEK  thankfully  speeding  his  departing  guest, 
John  Sherburne  hurried  back  to  his  library,  where, 
locking  the  door  to  protect  himself  against  intruders, 
he  sank  upon  a  chair  with  a  face  like  chalk. 

"  Joe  Dawson !  Joe,  of  all  people  in  the  world !  " 
he  gasped,  after  taking  a  moment  to  recover  his 
breath.  "  Good  Lord !  After  all  these  years !  What 
if  I  had  destroyed  that  discharge?  I  never  could 
have  allayed  the  man's  suspicions.  I'm  not  sure  I 
have  now,  entirely ;  sbut,  at  least,  he  can  prove  noth- 
ing against  me  with  that  in  my  possession.  I  seem 
to  be  menaced  from  two  different  directions.  What 
is  to  be  the  outcome  ?  " 

He  sat  in  deep  thought  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes, 
his  face  darkening  and  hardening  with  every  passing 
moment 

"  I'm  not  going  to  be  beaten  as  near  the  end  of  the 
trip  as  this,"  he  at  last  affirmed  through  his  tightly 
compressed  lips.  "  I've  staked  altogether  too  much 
on  the  game  I  have  played,  and — what  I  have  won 
I  am  going  to  keep!  But  how  make  it  secure  beyond 
the  possibility  of  loss  ?  " 

At  this  instant  there  came  a  tap  on  the  door. 

"  It  is  I,  Josephine,  Uncle  John,"  said  that  young 
lady,  her  clear,  musical  tones  making  a  pleasant  break 
in  his  uncomfortable  reflections. 


STEP  BY   STEP  261 

The  man  started,  his  face  lighting  suddenly  with 
a  gleam  of  triumph. 

"  That's  the  very  thing.  I'll  do  it,"  he  muttered, 
as  he  arose  and  opened  the  door  to  admit  his  nie^e. 

"  Come  in,  come  in,  dear,"  he  said,  in  an  eager 
voice. 

"  Not  if  you  are  busy,  Uncle  John.  I  merely  came 
to  tell  you  there  is  an  expressman  asking  for  you. 
He  wishes  you  to  sign  for  a  package,"  Josephine 
explained. 

"  All  right.  I'm  not  busy,  so  come  in.  I  will 
be  back  directly,  and  I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

Miss  Ashton  nodded  a  smiling  acquiescence  as  she 
entered  and  paced  slowly  up  and  down  the  long  room, 
while  she  waited  for  her  uncle  to  return. 

She  made  a  very  pleasing  picture  in  that  rich  room, 
with  its  luxurious  furniture  and  hangings,  its  costly 
books,  pictures,  rugs,  and  bric-a-brac.  She  harmo- 
nized well  with  her  surroundings,  which  seemed  to' 
belong  naturally  to  her.  In  figure  she  was  tall  and 
symmetrical  and  well-poised;  a  trifle  stately  in  car- 
riage, deliberate,  yet  graceful  in  all  her  movements. 

She  had  a  fine  face.  It  could  not  be  called  beau- 
tiful, although  it  was  exceedingly  attractive,  and  peo- 
ple seldom  passed  her  without  a  second  glance. 

She  had  changed  much  in  every  way  within  the 
past  four  years.  Her  experience  with  Margaret 
Lawrence  during  their  last  year  in  high  school  had 
proved  to  be  a  turning  point  in  her  life  and  character. 
Then,  too,  misfortune  and  sorrow  had  aroused  her 
to  the  fact  that  neither  poverty  nor  wealth  makes  the 


262  STEP  BY  STEP 

true  man  or  woman,  but  the  purity  of  purpose  which 
inspires  them ;  and  this  realization  had  done  much  to 
broaden,  deepen  and  refine  her,  both  mentally  and 
morally.  Thus,  higher  aspirations  and  resolves,  to- 
gether with  the  desire  to  be  loved  for  herself,  had  com- 
bined to  evolve  a  cultured  and  high-minded  girl  who 
could  not  fail  to  win  the  admiration  and  respect  of 
all  who  knew  her. 

When  Mr.  Sherburne  returned  to  the  room  she 
whirled  around,  with  a  gay  smile  on  her  lips,  to  meet 
him.  But  she  saw  at  once  that  something  had  gone 
wrong  with  him. 

"  Is  anything  the  matter,  Uncle  John  ? "  she  in- 
quired, the  smile  quickly  fading. 


"  Well,  I  have  had  a  rather  trying  day  in  some 
respects,"  Mr.  Sherburne  replied.  "But" — with  a 
shrug  of  his  broad  shoulders,  as  if  thus  to  rid  him- 
self of  unpleasant  memories — "  we  business  men  can- 
not escape  our  share  of  the  worries  of  life.  Come 
and  sit  down,  Josie,"  he  continued,  slipping  his  hand 
beneath  her  elbow  and  leading  her  to  a  chair.  "  I 
•  have  something  important  upon  which  I  wish  to  con- 
sult you." 

"  Oh !  Have  you  heard  of  a  position  for  me  ? " 
the  girl  eagerly  exclaimed. 

"  No  and  yes,"  he  smilingly  returned,  as  he  seated 
himself  opposite  her.  "  Now  listen,  and  don't  ask 
me  a  single  question  until  I  have  had  my  say." 

"  I  won't  if  I  can  help  it,  only  don't  keep  me  in 


STEP  BY   STEP  263 

suspense  too  long.  You  know  a  woman's  curiosity 
is  proverbial,"  Josephine  roguishly  retorted. 

"  I  do  not  need  to  remind  you,  dear,  that  I  am  all 
alone  in  the  world,"  her  companion  gravely  resumed. 
"  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  a  single  relative  living. 
It  was  always  a  bitter  disappointment  to  both  your 
aunt  and  me  that  we  had  no  children  of  our  own. 
As  you  know,  we  grew  to  love  you  almost  as  well  as 
if  you  really  belonged  to  us,  and  I  once  asked  your 
father  to  give  you  to  me.  Of  course  he  wouldn't  lis- 
ten to  such  an  arrangement,  though  he  was  willing 
to  spare  you  on  long  visits  to  us  occasionally.  Now 
you  have  been  left  alone;  you  have  also  been  bereft 
of  home  and  fortune,  and,  having  been  delicately 
reared,  you  are  not  fitted  to  cope  with  the  world 
single-handed.  In  view  of  all  this  I  am  going  to 
propose  that  you  allow  me  to  legally  adopt  you  as 
my  daughter." 

"  Uncle  John !  "  cried  Josephine,  in  almost  breath- 
less surprise. 

"  Wait  until  you  hear  all,"  he  interposed.  "  I 
will  not  ask  you  to  take  my  name,  for,  at  your  age, 
that  would  be  awkward  for  both  you  and  your  friends. 
I  only  ask  you  to  give  me  the  privilege  of  feeling  that 
you  really  belong  to  me,  that  I  may  have  some  one 
to  care  for  and  love  during  the  remainder  of  my  life 
— some  one  who  will  feel  an  interest  in  and  perhaps 
something  of  affection  for  me.  Cannot  you  under- 
stand, Josie,  that  I  am  a  lonely  old  man,  and  yearn 
for  some  one  in  my  home  to  bid  me  '  good-speed  ' 
when  I  go  out  and  welcome  me  when  I  return?  I 


264  STEP  BY   STEP 

know  you  are  proud-spirited  and  ambitious  to  do 
something  for  yourself;  but  cannot  you  accept  this 
as  your  work — your  mission — at  least  until  some  one 
younger  and  more  attractive  comes  along  to  claim  you 
and  make  you  mistress  of  his  home  ?  You  shall  not 
be  burdened  in  any  way.  Miss  Wellington,  who  is 
a  jewel  in  spite  of  her  preaching,  shall  remain  to 
manage  the  house  as  usual — that  is,  if  such  an  ar- 
rangement would  be  agreeable  to  you." 

"  I  think  Miss  Wellington  is  lovely,"  said  Joseph- 
ine, with  kindling  eyes.  "  And  I  like  her  '  preach- 
ing,' as  you  call  it — there  is  something  so  practical 
and  wholesome  about  it.  But,  Uncle  John,  I  have 
always  been  an  idler  and  pleasure-seeker — at  least 
until  I  went  to  Vassar — and  I  have  really  wanted  to 
see  if  it  is  in  me  to  amount  to  something  in  the  world 
through  my  own  efforts.  If  I  stay  here,  amid  all 
this  luxury,  with  you  to  pet  and  pamper  me,  I  am 
afraid  I  shall  drift  back  to  the  old  aimless,  selfish 
way  of  living,  and — I  don't  want  to,"  she  concluded 
wistfully. 

"  Suppose  your  father  had  not  lost  his  money,  you 
would  not — even  with  your  desire  for  something  bet- 
ter than  pleasure  and  social  position — have  felt  it 
necessary  to  go  into  active  business  or  professional 
life,  in  order  to  prove  that  you  could  amount  to  some- 
thing in  the  world,"  argued  Mr.  Sherburne. 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,"  she  said  reflectively.  "  Yet 
I  think  I  should  have  wished  to  have  some  worthy 
object  in  life." 

Exactly;  and  now  you  can  have  an  opportunity 


STEP  BY   STEP  265 

to  choose  what  that  shall  be,"  said  her  companion; 
"  for  it  was  only  a  question  of  time,"  anyway,  when 
you  would  have  become  a  wealthy  girl,  Josephine. 
Ever  since  misfortune  overtook  you  it  has  been  my 
intention  to  leave  you  handsomely  provided  for ;  but, 
more  recently,  I  have  decided  to  make  you  my  sole 
heir,  and  whether  you  accede  to  my  proposition  or 
not,  you  will  eventually  be  mistress  of  all  I  possess, 
which  is  no  small  amount.  I  am  not  telling  you  this 
to  place  you  under  any  obligation.  It  is  not  a  bribe, 
my  dear;  it  is  simply  that  I  must  make  some  dis- 
position of  my  property,  and  as  you  are  nearer  my 
heart  than  anyone  else,  I  have  settled  the  matter  in 
this  way.  So,  now,  if  you  feel  that  you  can  remain 
and  be  a  daughter  to  me — a  bit  of  sunshine  in  the 
house — it  will  be  a  great  comfort  to  me." 

Josephine  was  deeply  moved.  This  information, 
together  with  the  proposition  of  adoption,  had  come 
as  a  great  surprise  to  her.  It  would  be  delightful 
to  feel  that  she  was  no  longer  alone  in  the  world; 
that  with  a  kind  and  genial  guardian  to  love  and 
protect  her,  and  with  plenty  of  money  at  her  com- 
mand, she  need  have  no  further  anxiety  about  her 
future. 

And  yet,  with  the  feeling  of  relief  which  such  a 
prospect  afforded  here,  there  was  a  sense  of  disap- 
pointment in  the  thought  of  relinquishing  her  own 
plans  to  prove  her  mettle  and  ability  to  support  her- 
self. 

If  she  refused  to  comply  with  her  uncle's  request 
it  would  really  make  no  difference,  except  tempo- 


266  STEP   BY   STEP 

rarily,  perhaps,  for  he  had  settled  the  question  as 
to  how  he  would  dispose  of  his  fortune ;  it  would  be 
here  eventually,  and  it  would  almost  seem  like  rank 
ingratitude  not  to  try  to  make  him  some  return,  by 
ministering  to  his  comfort  and  happiness  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 

Then,  too,  if  she  persisted  in  becoming  a  teacher, 
now  that  there  no  longer  existed  the  necessity  for 
supporting  herself,  would  she  not  be  wilfully  robbing 
some  poor  girl  of  a  much-needed  position  and  its 
compensation  ? 

She  tried  to  look  at  the  matter  from  every  point 
of  view.  But  at  length  she  lifted  a  bright  face  and 
a  pair  of  happy  eyes  to  her  companion. 

"  You  have  clipped  my  wings  before  I  had  a  chance 
to  try  them,  Uncle  John,"  she  smilingly  observed; 
"  and  since  I  cannot  fly  away,  as  I  had  planned,  it 
behooves  me  to  settle  gracefully  down  in  my  gilded 
cage  and  try  to  be  the  good  and  obedient  daughter 
you  wish." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  feel — caged,  Josie,"  said 
the  man  in  a  doubtful  tone. 

"  Oh,  dear,  no !  That  was  only  a  figure  of  speech, 
Uncle  John,  for  this  beautiful  home  is  so  much  bet- 
ter than  any  I  ever  expected  to  have  again.  It  will 
be  lovely  to  feel  that  it  is  really  mine,  and  that  you 
have  taken  me  into  your  heart  as  well ;  and  if,  as  you 
say,  I  can  make  your  life  brighter  and  happier  I  shall 
feel  that  I  am  doing  some  good  in  the  world,  and  it 
will  be  a  delightful  arrangement  as  far  as  I  am  con- 


STEP   BY   STEP  267 

cerned."  She  was  so  bright  and  animated  as  she 
concluded  that  Mr.  Sherburne  was  reassured. 

"  And  you  will  consent  to  be  legally  adopted  ?  "  he 
inquired,  with  repressed  eagerness. 

"  Do  you  think  such  formalities  necessary  ? "  she 
asked. 

Somehow  this  phase  of  the  plan  did  not  quite  please 
her;  it  almost  seemed  like  signing  away  her  iden- 
tity to  enter  into  such  a  compact 

"  It  would  make  everything  more  secure  for  you, 
and  would  at  once  establish  you  in  a  definite  social 
position  here  in  Chicago,"  Mr.  Sherburne  returned. 
"  Moreover,  I  am  rather  doubtful  of  wills  and  leav- 
ing other  people  to  administer  them.  So,  to  fix  the 
matter  right  and  tight,  I  am  going  to  settle  my  prop- 
erty upon  you  at  once,  reserving  only  the  power  of 
trustee  for  myself.  In  this  way  I  can  have  the  satis- 
faction of  knowing  that  nobody  can  ever  deprive  you 
of  your  inheritance.  Not  even  that  fine  young  chap, 
who  may  come  along  some  day  to  claim  you,  will  be 
able  to  touch  it  without  your  consent,"  he  concluded 
jocosely. 

Josephine  flushed  consciously  at  this  roguish  fling, 
and  then  was  nettled  because  she  had  done  so;  for 
it  had  caused  her  thoughts  to  turn  to  Louis  Arnold, 
who  only,  she  had  long  felt,  would  ever  have  any 
claim  upon  Jier  heart.  He  alone  was  her  ideal,  her 
model,  of  what  a  man  should  be.  Since  coming  to 
Chicago  and  meeting  him  again  she  realized  that 
her  admiration  and  regard  for  him  were  on  the  in- 


268  STEP   BY  STEP 

crease,  and  she  found  herself  yearning  to  awaken  a 
responsive  chord  in  his  estimate  of  her. 

But  of  course  she  had  allowed  nothing  of  this  to 
become  apparent  to  others,  and  she  now  strove  to 
control  her  rising  color  at  Mr.  Sherburne's  jest,  and 
responded  with  ready  compliance : 

Very  well,  Uncle  John,  I  know  nothing  about 
legal  points,  but  you  may  do  whatever  you  think 
best.  I  certainly  am  very  grateful  and  happy  in 
view  of  all  your  kindness  to  me,  and  now  I  am 
sure  I  shall  never  again  feel  so  sad  and  lonely  as  I 
have  felt  during  the  last  year." 

She  held  out  both  hands  to  him,  tears  brimming 
her  eyes  as  she  concluded. 

He  arose  and  drew  her  to  him,  clasping  her  hands 
with  one  of  his  and  laying  his  other  arm  lightly 
about  her  shoulders. 

"  I  am  more  than  happy,"  he  said.  "  The  world 
will  seem  much  brighter  to  me  if  I  can  keep  you 
with  me,  Josie.  And  now,  dear,  remember  we  are 
to  be  exactly  like  father  and  daughter  in  our  future 
relations.  If  you  want  anything,  you  are  to  ask 
for  it  just  as  freely  as  if  you  had  always  belonged 
here :  there  is  plenty  of  money,  and  the  more  you 
spend  in  making  yourself  and  others — if  you  are 
inclined  to  charitable  deeds — happy,  the  better  I 
shall  like  it.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

The  girl  laughed  to  keep  herself  from  weeping, 
for  in  this  kind  and  generous  mood  he  made  her 
think  of  her  own  father,  who  had  always  been  very 
tender  with  her. 


STEP   BY   STEP  269 

"  All  right,"  she  said,  trying  to  speak  lightly. 
"  And  to  put  you  to  the  test  I  am  going  to  begin 
right  now." 

"  Good  for  you !     What  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  invite  a  friend  to  spend  the  Christmas 
holidays  with  me  and  give  her  the  best  time  of  her 
life." 

"  You  couldn't  please  me  better.  Fill  the  house 
with  young  people  if  you  like,  and  be  as  gay  as  you 
choose,"  he  heartily  returned. 

"  No,  I  only  want  one  for  Christmas.  She  is  my 
dearest  friend,  and  I'm  not  going  to  share  her  with 
anybody  else  this  time.  There,  see  how  selfishness 
crops  out  with  the  first  temptation !  I  told  you  you 
would  spoil  me !  " 

And  yet  it  was  a  happy  little  laugh  that  followed 
the  words. 

"  I  will  risk  it.  But  who  is  this  dearest  friend  ?  " 
inquired  the  broker. 

"  Margaret  Lawrence.  We  were  classmates  in 
high  school,  and  I  spent  a  week  with  her  after  I 
left  Vassar." 

"  Then  of  course  you  owe  her  the  visit.  Send 
for  her  by  all  means,  and  right  away,  or  she  may 
make  some  other  engagement,"  said  Mr.  Sherburne 
as  eagerly  as  if  it  had  been  his  own  particular  friend 
who  was  coming.  "  And  now  let  us  see,"  he  added, 
seating  himself  at  his  desk  and  producing  his  check 
book,  "  I  must  not  shirk  any  of  my  responsibilities. 
My  adopted  daughter  must  be  supplied  with  her  first 
month's  allowance  to  seal  the  compact." 


270  STEP  BY   STEP 

He  filled  in  a  slip  for  a  generous  amount  and 
passed  it  over  to  her.  She  flushed  sensitively  as  she 
glanced  at  it. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  are  too  lavish,  Uncle  John/'  she 
began  in  a  repressed  tone. 

"  Tut — tut !  You  are  not  to  criticise  your  sire's 
expenditures,  and  he  won't  question  yours.  Put  it 
in  your  purse  and  later  I'll  arrange  for  you  to  have 
a  check  book  of  your  own." 

"  Thank  you,  Uncle  John,"  she  said  gratefully, 
his  matter-of-fact  tone  and  manner  at  once  reliev- 
ing her  embarrassment.  Then  as  her  glance  fell 
upon  a  paper  lying  spread  out  upon  the  table,  she 
exclaimed  curiously :  "  Oh,  what  is  this,  stamped 
with  the  English  coat-of-arms  ?  and  on  parchment, 
too!  Why!"  as  her  quick  eye  swept  the  sheet, 
"  were  you  ever  a  soldier  and  a  captain  ?  " 

John  Sherburne  frowned,  and  an  icy  chill  went 
prickling  through  him.  He  seemed  to  be  ill-fated 
of  late,  he  thought,  regarding  this  secret  which  he 
had  preserved  intact  for  so  many  years,  and  he  felt 
irritated  because  he  had  not  immediately  returned 
the  document  to  his  safe  after  -the  departure  of 
his  recent  guest.  Now  there  would  have  to  be  more 
lying  to  explain  the  situation,  and  this  consciousness 
sadly  marred  his  satisfaction  in  the  compact  just 
concluded.  But  he  quickly  recovered  himself. 

"  Yes,  when  I  was  a  young  man  I  served  for  a 
time  in  the  English  army,  and  that  is  my  discharge. 
I  was  showng  it  to  an  old  comrade  this  afternoon," 


STEP  BY   STEP  271 

he  replied,  as  if  it  were  a  matter  of  no  special 
interest. 

He  gently  took  the  parchment  from  her  and  de- 
posited it  in  his  safe,  glad  to  get  it  out  of  sight.  He 
then  began  to  talk  of  the  prospective  visit  of  Mar- 
garet Lawrence,  and  of  various  plans  for  her  enter- 
tainment, and  the  discharge  was  for  the  time  for- 
gotten. 

Very  shortly  after  this  the  necessary  steps  were 
taken  to  legalize  the  adoption  of  Miss  Josephine 
Ashton  by  Mr.  John  Sherburne,  immediately  fol- 
lowing which  the  latter  proceeded  to  settle  the  bulk 
of  his  property  upon  his  new  daughter. 

When  these  important  matters  were  adjusted 
the  man  experienced  a  sense  of  intense  relief,  and 
congratulated  himself  that  he  had  accomplished 
the  coup  de  maitre  which  would  insure  them  both 
a  future  of  ease  and  luxury — let  come  what  would. 

Meantime  a  letter  from  Josephine  went  flying 
East  to  her  friend  Margaret  Lawrence,  telling  her 
of  the  wonderful  change  in  her  prospects,  and  plead- 
ing for  the  holiday  visit.  Inclosed  in  the  envelope 
with  it  there  was  a  through  ticket  from  Boston 
to  Chicago,  concerning  which  Josephine  wrote: 

"  It  is  my  Christmas  gift  to  you,  dear,  so  do  not 
disappoint  me,  for  I  am  longing  for  you  with  all 
my  heart.  I  know  the  change  will  do  you  good,  and 
you  will  go  back  to  school  feeling  a  hundred  per 
cent,  better  prepared  to  finish  out  the  year." 


272  STEP  BY   STEP 

Margaret  responded  with  grateful  acknowledg- 
ments and  acceptance,  and  also  wrote  some  news 
that  was  both  a  joy  and  a  surprise  to  Josephine. 

"  Mother  and  Ted  are  going  to  Chicago  to  live, 
on  or  about  the  first  of  January.  Ted  has  had  a 
fine  offer  from  a  firm  there,  and  after  considering 
the  pros  and  cons  we  have  thought  best  to  make 
our  home  there.  I  shall,  of  course,  complete  my 
year  here  at  Smith,  but,  meantime,  Ted  is  to  be  on 
the  lookout  for  a  position  for  me  in  or  near  Chi^ 
cago,  for  we  cannot  be  separated.  Ted  says  his 
salary  will  be  sufficient  to  support  us  all,  and  I 
need  not  work;  but,  having  fitted  myself  for  teach- 
ing, and  having  a  real  love  for  it,  I  am  going  to  stick 
to  it,  at  least  for  the  present.  However,  we  will 
talk  more  of  my  plans  when  I  come  to  you.  I  shall 
leave  Boston  at  nine,  via  B.  &  A.  R.  R,  Friday 
evening,  December  22d,  and  you  will  know  where 
and  at  what  hour  to  meet  me  Saturday  night.  Now, 
my  dear,  au  revoir.  Lovingly,  MAEGABET/' 


STEP   BY   STEP  273 


"  MAEGAKET  LAWKENCE  coming  here  for  a  two 
weeks'  visit!  " 

The  speaker  was  Louis  Arnold,  who  was  making 
his  usual  weekly  call  upon  Aunt  Martha. 

Miss  Wellington  had  been  telling  him  of  Jose- 
phine's invitation  to  her  friend,  with  something  of 
the  plans  for  her  entertainment  and  the  approaching 
holidays,  and  the  quick  flush  that  swept  to  his  brows, 
the  swift  gleam  of  joy  that  leaped  into  his  eyes,  to- 
gether with  the  tender  thrill  in  his  voice  as  he  spoke 
the  girl's  name,  at  once  revealed  to  his  companion 
the  sweet,  long-cherished  hope  of  his  life  which  he 
believed  was,  as  yet,  safely  locked  within  the  most 
secret  recesses  of  his  heart. 

"  Yes,  she  will  arrive  a  fortnight  from  to-night, 
and  no  doubt  you  will  be  glad  to  meet  your  class- 
mate while  she  is  with  us,"  demurely  observed  the 
lady,  yet  with  a  gleam  of  amusement  in  her  eyes 
which  told  Louis  that  he  had  betrayed  more  than 
he  had  intended. 

"  I  certainly  shall,"  he  said,  "  and,  Aunt  Martha," 
the  flush  deepening  on  his  cheek  as  he  suddenly  felt 
impelled  to  confide  in  her — "  I  am  sure  you  will 
like  Miss  Lawrence.  I  hope  you  will.  I  may  as  well 
tell  you  I  think  she  is  the  finest  girl  I  ever  saw;  just 


274  STEP  BY   STEP 

the  kind  that  would  make  an  all-around  companion 
for  life,"  he  slyly  admitted,  growing  bolder  as  he 
progressed  in  his  confidence.  "  I've  told  you  some- 
thing about  her  before — she  is  Gypsy,  you  know," 
he  resumed,  "  and  the  girl  who  led  our  class  in 
high.  I  was  strongly  tempted  during  my  vacation 
a  year  ago  last  summer  to  sound  her  a  little  regard- 
ing her  opinion  of  your  humble  servant,  but  I  had 
no  definite  plans  for  my  future  in  mind  at  that  time, 
and  I  thought  it  would  be  hardly  fair  to  make  any 
advances  until  I  had  something  besides  my  empty 
hands  to  offer  with  my  heart." 

"  That  was  right,"  said  Miss  Wellington  with  an 
approving  nod.  "  You  certainly  do  try  to  govern 
your  life  by  principle,  dear  boy.  And  Miss  Law- 
rence has  no  suspicion  of  your  regard  for  her? " 

"  I  can't  quite  vouch  for  that,"  replied  Louis,  col- 
oring again,  as  he  recalled  two  or  three  occasions 
when  his  secret  had  very  nearly  escaped  him.  "  But 
I  have  never  spoken  outright  to  her. 

"  Now,  however,"  he  resumed,  "  I  feel  that  I  am 
pretty  sure  what  I  am  going  to  do.  I  like  the  lum- 
ber business;  it  is  a  good,  clean,  substantial  business, 
even  though  there  are  some  rough  experiences  con- 
nected with  it.  I  like  Mr.  Buskirk;  he  is  queer, 
but  he  is  honest  to  the  core,  and  we  fit  in  together 
as  if  we  had  been  made  for  each  other;  and  the  first 
of  January  he  is  going  to  double  my  wages." 

"Double  your  pay!  That  is  an  unusual  raise, 
isn't  it? "  queried  Miss  Wellington  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  it  is;  but  I've  tried  to  make  myself  useful. 


STEP   BY   STEP  275 

I  have  been  to  the  mills  twice  with  him  and  have 
got  a  pretty  thorough  knowledge  of  how  things  are 
going  there.  I  made  a  suggestion,  too,  that  sim- 
plified the  handling  of  some  of  the  lumber  and 
which  pleased  him  greatly;  and  yesterday  he  told 
me  what  I  might  expect  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year." 

"  I  am  very  much  pleased,"  said  his  friend  ap- 
preciatively. 

"  So  you  see,  Aunt  Martha,"  Louis  continued,  "  I 
feel  that  by  the  end  of  another  twelve  months  I 
will  be  worth  still  more  to  him  and  get  another  raise; 
and  perhaps  it  would  not  be  too  presumptuous  of  me 
to  put  my  fate  with  Margaret  to  the  test  pretty  soon. 
What  do  you  think?  " 

Miss  Wellington  laid  her  hand  affectionately  upon 
the  young  man's  shoulder. 

"  Thank  you,  my  boy,  for  giving  me  your  con- 
fidence," she  said.  "  Regarding  Miss  Lawrence,  I 
hear  nothing  but  good  of  her  from  Josephine;  and, 
as  I  am  pretty  sure  I  can  safely  trust  your  judgment 
in  a  matter  which  so  vitally  concerns  your  happi- 
ness, and  your  prospects  seem  favorable,  I  will  sim- 
ply quote  an  old  proverb  to  you — '  Faint  heart 
never  won  fair  lady.' ' 

Louis  threw  back  his  head  with  a  light-hearted 
laugh. 

"  How  helpful  you  always  are !  I  never  go  away 
empty  when  I  come  to  you  for  counsel,"  he  said, 
giving  her  a  bright,  fond  look.  "  And  this  is  such 
acceptable  advice,  too,"  he  added  contentedly. 


276  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  It  almost  seems  as  if  we  were  back  in  New  Hamp- 
shire and  you  were  really  '  my  boy '  again,  to  have 
you  come  to  me  with  your  plans,  hopes  and  fears." 
And  Miss  Wellington  affectionately  stroked  his  arm 
as  she  used  to  do  in  the  old  days  when  they  had  their 
little  confidential  talk. 

"  I  am  always  going  to  be  your  '  boy/  Aunt  Mar- 
tha, and  you  know  that  you  are  booked  for  your 
own  special  niche  in  my  home,  just  as  soon  as  that 
coveted  place  is  established,"  he  eagerly  affirmed. 

"  That  is  very  nice  of  you,  Louis,  but  you  know 
I  never  encouraged  you  in  building  castles  in  Spain, 
so  I  think  we  will  wait  awhile  before  we  talk  about 
that,"  smilingly  responded  his  friend. 

Again  he  laughed  buoyantly. 

"  We  will  wait  just  one  month,  Aunt  Martha," 
he  retorted,  with  a  sly  smile,  "  for,  acting  upon  the 
spirit  of  your  proverb,  I  shall  have  learned  some- 
thing definite  by  that  time.  But " — and  he  grew 
suddenly  grave — "  if  I  fail  to  win  Margaret  I  shall 
want  a  home  just  the  same  and  I  shall  need  you 
all  the  more." 

"  Aren't  your  forebodings  a  little  premature, 
Louis,  not  to  mention  your  plans  to  follow  their 
fulfilment  ? "  queried  Miss  Wellington  with  a 
roguish  sparkle  in  her  eyes  that  made  him  laugh 
again.  "  Now  tell  me,"  she  went  on  abruptly, 
changing  the  subject,  "  have  you  ever  looked  over 
those  old  letters  that  belonged  to  your  mother? " 

"  No;  I  sent  for  that  box  of  things  after  we  had 
that  other  talk  about  them;  but,  somehow,  the  right 


STEP  BY  STEP  277 

time  has  never  seemed  to  come  to  examine  them — 
it  strikes  me  that  it  isn't  a  very  pleasant  thing  to  do, 
to  read  letters  written  by  people  who  are  gone," 
Louis  returned. 

"  But  I  think  you  ought ;  there  may  be  something 
connected  with  the  lives  of  your  father  and  mother 
which  might  be  to  your  interest  to  know,"  said  Miss 
.Wellington. 

"  Suppose  you  look  them  over  for  me,  Aunt 
Martha,"  he  pleaded.  "  If  you  find  anything  of  im- 
portance you  can  save  it  out  for  me,  though  I  am 
inclined  to  think  they  might  as  well  be  burned  first 
as  last." 

"  No,  indeed;  bring  them  to  me  and  I  will  read 
them  carefully  for  you.  You  would  make  a  great 
mistake  to  burn  them,"  prophetically  objected  Miss 
Wellington. 

"  All  right,  I  will  send  them  around  in  a  day  or 
two  and  you  can  take  your  own  time,"  Louis  re- 
sponded as  he  arose  to  take  his  leave. 

Two  weeks  slipped  quickly  by,  and  late  on  Satur- 
day evening  John  Sherburne  and  Josephine  drove  to 
the  station  to  meet  their  expected  guest  as  pre- 
viously arranged.  They  had  to  wait  a  little  for  the 
train  and,  arm  in  arm,  paced  the  platform  to  pass 
the  time. 

They  appeared  to  be  very  happy — as  indeed  they 
were  in  their  new  relationship — chatting  and  laugh- 
ing in  the  most  social  manner  and  wholly  uncon- 
scious that  they  were  being  stealthily  followed  by 


278  STEP  BY  STEP 

a  tall  figure  clad  in  a  dark  gray  ulster  and  wearing  a 
elouch  hat  drawn  down  over  his  eyes. 

After  walking  to  the  end  of  the  platform  they 
turned  and  slowly  retraced  their  steps,  which  neces- 
sitated their  passing  the  man  referred  to.  As  they 
came  close  up  with  him  he  suddenly  tipped  back  his 
hat,  revealing  a  flushed  and  bloated  face,  and, 
slapping  Mr.  Sherburne  familiarly  on  the  shoulder, 
exclaimed  in  a  thick,  tipsy  voice: 

"  How  d'y,  Nate  Judkins?  I'm  blamed  if  I  don't 
believe  you're  my  man  after  all!  " 

John  Sherburne  felt  a  sudden  contraction  of  his 
throat,  as  if  a  relentless  hand  had  clutched  him 
there,  shutting  off  his  breath  for  the  moment.  But 
he  knew  that  everything  depended  upon  his  main- 
taining his  self-possession.  Let  him  make  but  a 
single  false  move  and  he  was  lost. 

He  turned  with  an  air  of  mild  surprise  tn  the  man 
and  blandly  observed: 

"  You  have  made  a  mistake,  my  friend ;  I  don't 
know  any  such  person.  All  the  same,  if  there  is  any- 
thing I  can  do  for  you  I  shall  be  glad  to  oblige  you." 

The  stranger  searched  the  clean-shaven,  aristo- 
cratic face  for  a  moment,  hesitated,  changed  the 
position  of  his  hat,  then  meeting  Josephine's  won- 
dering eyes  drew  back,  muttering  an  incoherent 
apology,  and  slunk  away. 

"  Why!  what  did  he  mean,  Uncle  John,  by  calling 
you  by  that  name? "  the  girl  inquired  as  they  re- 
sumed their  interrupted  walk. 

"  I  doubt  if  he  knows  himself  what  he  meant," 


STEP  BY  STEP  279 

Mr.  Sherburne  replied  in  a  tolerant  tone.  "  He  is 
a  poor  tipsy  fellow,  who  evidently  mistook  me  for 
some  one  else.  There!  I  think  the  train  is  coming 
in,  and  just  two  minutes  behind  its  time,"  he  con- 
cluded as  he  wheeled  his  companion  around  and 
hurried  her  toward  the  approaching  express,  but 
hurling  mental  anathemas  upon  the  fate  that  had 
caused  that  delay  of  two  minutes  and  had  plunged 
him  into  such  an  awkward  predicament  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  adopted  daughter. 

Another  minute  and  Josephine  and  Margaret  were 
in  each  other's  arms,  simultaneously  voicing  glad 
greetings  and  fond  inquiries  with  characteristic  girl- 
ish fervor  and  delight. 

When  these  were  over  Josephine  introduced  hor 
uncle,  who  cordially  expressed  his  pleasure  in  having 
Miss  Lawrence  come  to  them.  A  few  minutes  later 
they  were  on  their  way  uptown,  where  Miss  Welling- 
ton had  a  dainty  lunch  ready  to  serve  them. 

Space  will  not  permit  a  detailed  account  of  the 
two  weeks  that  followed.  Something  delightful  had 
been  planned  for  every  day,  while  the  evenings  were 
devoted  to  grand  opera  and  various  other  attractions, 
with  now  and  then  a  pleasant  little  affair  at  home. 

Two  nights  of  every  week  Mr.  Sherburne  spent 
at  his  club,  also  Sunday  afternoons,  and  upon  those 
occasions  Josephine  tactfully  arranged  to  include 
Louis  in  their  party.  True,  Mr.  Sherburne  had  never 
objected  to  the  young  man's  visits  to  either  Miss  Wel- 
lington or  his  ward,  yet  it  was  evident  to  Josephine 
that  he  did  not  wish  to  meet  Louis  if  he  could  avoid 


28o  STEP   BY   STEP 

doing  so;  hence  the  girl's  desire  to  steer  clear  of 
awkward  situations. 

Miss  Wellington  was  called  upon  to  act  as  chaper- 
on at  such  times,  and  was  in  her  element,  declaring 
she  felt  almost  like  a  girl  herself,  and  had  never  had 
such  a  good  time  in  her  life. 

She  not  only  enjoyed  the  companionship  of  the 
young  people,  but  possessed  the  happy  faculty  of 
adapting  herself  to  them,  and  with  her  keen,  though 
quiet  spirit  of  humor,  she  was  excellent  company. 

She  was  the  more  glad  to  avail  herself  of  these 
opportunities  because  she  wished  to  study,  from 
every  point  of  view,  the  maiden  upon  whom  her 
"  boy  "  had  staked  his  future  happiness. 

Margaret  Lawrence  had  developed  into  a  very  beau- 
tiful girl.  She  was  not  brilliant  or  striking  like 
Josephine ;  but  one  could  not  remain  in  her  presence 
half  an  hour  without  becoming  conscious  of  a  cheeri- 
ness  and  sweetness  of  disposition,  a  purity  of  thought, 
and  a  conscientious  regard  for  all  that  was  good  and 
true,  which  seemed  to  give  promise  of  a  harmonious 
and  useful  life  wherever  her  lot  might  be  cast. 

Miss  Wellington  could  find  no  fault  with  her,  and, 
as  it  soon  became  evident  that  the  attraction  between 
Margaret  and  Louis  was  mutual,  she  felt  sure  that, 
when  the  right  opportunity  presented  itself,  the 
young  man  would  not  sue  in  vain  for  the  love  he 
coveted. 

At  the  same  time  she  was  somewhat  appalled  to 
discover  that  Josephine  was  manifesting  peculiar 
svirptoms  in  view  of  similar  convictions,  e^en  though 


STEP  BY   STEP  281 

she  spared  no  effort  or  expense  to  make  her  friend's 
visit  as  delightful  as  possible,  and  bravely  strove  to 
conceal  the  fierce  struggle  which  was  going  on  within 
her  own  heart,  as  she  realized  what  the  probable  re- 
sult of  Margaret's  visit  would  be. 

On  !N"ew  Year's  morning  there  came  a  package  by 
express  to  each  of  the  three  ladies  in  Mr.  Sherburne's 
household.  They  were  all  the  same  size,  and  upon 
examination  were  found  to  contain  exquisite  bunches 
of  long-stemmed  roses,  each  a  duplicate  of  the  other 
except  in  color.  Miss  Wellington's  were  pure  white, 
Josephine's  pink,  and  Margaret's  a  rich,  glowing 
crimson;  and  to  each  was  attached  a  card  bearing 
the  name  of  Louis  Arnold,  with  the  compliments  of 
the  season. 

"  How  lovely  of  Mr.  Arnold  I  "  exclaimed  Mar- 
garet, as  she  buried  her  glowing  face  among  the  vivid 
blossoms.  In  so  doing  she  dislodged  a  tiny  envelope 
which  had  been  adroitly  concealed  in  their  midst, 
and  which  now  fell  fluttering  to  the  floor  in  full  view 
of  her  companions. 

With  conscious  blushes  suffusing  her  sweet  face 
she  stooped  to  recover  it,  while  Miss  Wellington, 
keenly  observant  of  the  situation,  saw  Josephine 
sharply  catch  her  breath  as  her  color  suddenly  faded, 
leaving  her  startlingly  pale. 

"  Yes,  Louis  is  always  very  thoughtful,"  Miss  Wel- 
lington hastened  to  remark ;  "  and  see  \  "  she  added, 
to  draw  attention  to  herself  and  so  cover  Josephine's 
agitation.  "  He  has  been  especially  partial  to  me 
to-day."  She  held  up  a  pocketbook  having  a  gold 


282  STEP   BY   STEP 

clasp,  on  which  her  initials  were  graven,  as  she  con- 
cluded. 

This  little  tactful  ruse  gave  Josephine  an  oppor- 
tunity to  recover  herself,  and  she  immediately  rose 
to  the  occasion. 

"  That  is  a  beauty !"  she  said,  going  quickly  to 
her  side,  as  if  eager  to  inspect  the  gift.  "  And  you 
needed  it,  dear  Miss  Wellington,"  she  added,  with 
a  faint  smile. 

"  Yes,  I  know  it.  The  last  time  I  went  out  with 
Louis  he  said  he  was  ashamed  of  my  old  one,  and 
asked  me  to  keep  it  out  of  sight."  A  little  burst  of 
happy  laughter  rippled  over  the  woman's  lips  as  she 
opened  her  treasure  to  investigate  its  numerous  com- 
partments. 

"  And  he  has  sent  you  white  roses,  too ;  nothing 
else  would  have  been  quite  the  thing  for  you,"  mur- 
mured Margaret,  as  her  eyes  wandered  from  the 
snowy  blooms  to  the  pure,  refined  face  above  them. 
"  And,  Josie,  your  pink  ones  are  superb,"  she  con- 
cluded, stooping  to  inhale  the  fragrance  of  the  offer- 
ing to  her  friend. 

"  Yes — and  I  must  put  them  in  water,"  replied 
Josephine,  as  she  turned  abruptly  away  to  get  a  vase, 
in  which,  after  ringing  for  water  to  fill  it,  she  ar- 
ranged her  flowers,  and  left  it  for  a  centerpiece  on 
the  large  table  in  the  drawing-room. 

Margaret,  however,  carried  her  bouquet  away  to 
her  own  room,  and  that  evening  when  she  was  dressed 
for  the  little  New  Year's  reception  which  Josephine 
was  giving  in  her  honor,  and  which  included  the 


STEP  BY   STEP  283 

Kichardses  and  Westons,  together  with  some  ac- 
quaintances which  she  had  recently  made,  she  fas- 
tened one  glowing,  perfect  blossom  among  the  fluffy 
lace  ruffles  of  her  corsage. 

"  Love's  answer  to  Love's  offering,"  said  Joseph- 
ine to  herself,  with  a  sickening  sense  of  loss  which 
held  her  in  thrall  throughout  the  evening,  making 
her  duties  as  hostess  well-nigh  unbearable,  particu- 
larly when  her  glance  chanced  to  rest  upon  the  lovers* 
happy  faces. 

No  one  suspected  the  truth  save  Miss  Wellington, 
whose  heart  yearned  to  comfort  the  suffering  girl, 
and  even  she  did  not  dream  of  the  battle  which  Jo- 
sephine afterwards  fought  out  alone  in  the  silence  and 
darkness  of  her  own  room,  and  which  lasted  until 
the  gray  dawn  of  morning  began  to  creep  into  the 
eastern  sky. 

When  the  girl  came  resolutely  face  to  face  with 
the  blighting  fact  that  she  and  Margaret  both  loved 
Louis  Arnold,  and  asked  herself  what  was  to  be  the 
outcome  of  the  situation,  she  was  appalled  to  find 
herself  confronted  by  a  couple  of  ugly  dragons,  bit- 
ter jealousy  and  vindictiveness,  which  she  believed 
she  had  long  since  slain — dragons  of  that  old  school 
feud  when  Margaret  had  led  her  class  and  despoiled 
her  of  her  coveted  honors. 

Could  she  bear  it  to  have  her  rival  rob  her  now  of 
what  she  had  fondly  hoped  would  be  the  crowning 
glory  of  her  life?  If  it  had  been  anyone  else,  she 
thought  it  would  not  have  seemed  quite  so  hard. 

Could  they  continue  to  be  friends,  or  must  they 


284  STEP   BY   STEP 

become  lifelong  foes  because  of  this?  Should  she 
allow  resentment,  hatred,  and  self-love  to  take  pos- 
session of  her  once  more  and  sweep  out  of  exist- 
ence the  beautiful  friendship  of  the  last  five  years, 
thus  marring  the  happiness  of  Margaret,  who  was 
guiltless  of  wrong  toward  her,  and  casting  an  even 
deeper  blight  upon  her  own  future?  What  would 
she  gain  by  such  a  course?  Would  it  bring  Louis 
nearer  to  her — would  it  even  help  her  in  any  way 
to  bear  this  sorrow  and  disappointment  which  had 
overtaken  her  so  unawares? 

These  were  some  of  the  searching  questions 
which  confronted  her  in  the  darkness  and  silence 
of  that  first  night  of  the  New  Year,  and  there 
finally  came  to  her  the  realization  that  there  could 
be  but  one  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter.  She 
had  once  risen  superior  to  such  unworthy  traits, 
and  she  could  never  sink  to  their  level  again.  Such 
a  retrograde  step  could  only  result  in  a  sense  of 
the  loss  of  something  very  dear  and  sweet  out  of 
her  life,  in  losing  Margaret;  in  a  feeling  of  scorn 
from  the  man  whom  she  loved,  together  with  end- 
less humiliation  and  contempt  for  herself  and — 
she  must  conquer  self  again.  With  this  she  fell  asleep, 
and  did  not  waken  until  Miss  Wellington  tapped 
upon  her  door  and  inquired  if  she  had  overslept  and 
missed  hearing  the  breakfast-bell. 

The  next  few  days  loomed  up  like  ages  before 
her,  for  it  seemed  as  if  she  could  not  perform  the 
duties  devolving  upon  her,  wear  a  brave  front  and 
make  no  sign.  Margaret  was  not  tp  leave  until 


STEP   BY   STEP  285 

Friday  morning,  and  Josephine  lived  in  constant 
dread  of  a  confidential  disclosure  from  her. 

Tuesday  and  Wednesday  were  pretty  well  filled 
with  engagements  and  passed  quickly.  Thursday 
morning  there  was  a  round  of  shopping,  and  Mrs. 
Richards  had  claimed  them  for  the  afternoon  and 
evening. 

This  little  visit  was  like  a  benediction  after  the 
excitement  of  the  past  two  weeks.  It  was  like  the 
reunion  of  a  loving  family  whose  aims  and  hopes 
were  one;  who  were  at  peace  with  each  other  and 
all  mankind ;  whose  restful  happiness  and  freedom 
from  all  anxious  thought  were  founded  upon  some- 
thing higher  than  the  pleasures  and  prosperity  of  this 
world.  Even  Josephine  was  soothed  by  the  har- 
monious atmosphere  surrounding  her  and  sighed  re- 
gretfully when  the  hour  for  leave-taking  arrived. 

Louis  accompanied  the  ladies  home,  where,  leav- 
ing his  coat  and  hat  in  the  hall,  he  followed  Mar- 
garet into  the  drawing-room  with  an  air  of  quiet  as- 
surance which  told  its  own  story. 

Miss  Wellington,  as  if  blissly  unconscious  of  any- 
thing unusual  in  the  procedure,  mounted  the  stairs 
to  the  second  floor.  Josephine,  also  taking  the  hint, 
slipped  up  after  her,  and!,  with  a  brief  "  good- 
night," disappeared  within  her  own  room. 

An  hour  later  she  heard  the  hall  door  close,  and 
presently  there  came  a  gentle  tap  on  her  own.  She 
had  been  nerving  herself  for  this  last  confidential 
talk  with  Margaret,  and  was  outwardly  calm  as 
she  admitted  her  friend,  and  smiled  archly  into 


286  STEP  BY   STEP 

the  sweet  face  that  was  covered  with  conscious 
blushes. 

"  I  know  what  you  have  come  to  tell  me,  dear," 
Josephine  observed,  thus  forestalling  the  prospect- 
ive confession.  "  I  have  been  expecting  to  hear  it 
every  day  for  a  week." 

"  Why,  Josie,  have  you,  really  ? "  exclaimed 
Margaret.  "  What  made  you  suspect  ?  I — 

"  One  didn't  need  to  consult  an  oracle  in  order 
to  receive  confirmation  of  what  was  patent  to  every- 
body from  the  outset,"  playfully  responded  Jo- 
sephine as  Margaret  paused  from  embarrassment. 

"  Well,  of  course,  I  couldn't  tell  anyone  here 
until  I  had  written  mamma  and  Ted  to  find  out  what 
they  thought  about  it,"  Margaret  explained  apolo- 
getically. "  You  see,"  she  resumed,  "  Louis  and  I 
have  been  fond  of  each  other  for  years,  but  nothing 
definite  has  ever  been  said  until  I  came  here.  When 
he  called  New  Year's  afternoon — you  were  prac- 
tising those  duets  with  Mr.  Welton — he  told  me, 
but  I  could  give  him  no  promise  until  I  heard  from 
home.  This  morning  I  had  my  letter.  Mamma 
and  Ted  are  both  delighted,  and  so : 

"  So  Louis  came  in  to-night  to  get  his  final  an- 
swer," supplemented  Josephine,  as  her  companion 
again  found  it  difficult  to  proceed. 

For  reply  Margaret  held  out  her  left  hand,  on 
which  there  shone  a  small  but  clear  white  stone, 
very  prettily  set. 

"  Well,  it  seems  he  was  serenely  confident  of  re- 
sults, and  came  prepared  to  take  immediate  posses- 


STEP  BY   STEP  287 

eion  of  his  prize,"  returned  Josephine,  forcing  a 
light  laugh  to  her  lips. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  we  both  felt  that  writing  to 
mamma  was  only  a  matter  of  form,  for  she  has 
known  and  admired  Louis  for  a  long  while;  but 
of  course  we  owed  her  the  courtesy  of  asking  her 
sanction;  and  now  I  am  telling  you  first  of  all." 
And  Margaret  caught  her  friend  to  her  in  a  loving 
embrace. 

The  die  was  cast,  and  Josephine,  having  herself 
well  in  hand  by  this  time,  was  able  to  listen  while 
the  unsuspicious  girl  told  her  something  of  her  re- 
cent interview  with  Louis  and  his  plans  for  their 
future. 

They  would  have  to  wait  a  couple  of  years  be- 
fore they  could  make  a  home  for  themselves,  she 
said;  until  Louis  was  more  thoroughly  established 
in  business.  Meantime  she  would  continue  to  teach, 
and  she  hoped  she  would  be  able  to  secure  a  posi- 
tion there  in  Chicago. 

It  was  fully  midnight  before  Margaret  realized 
that  she  had  a  long  journey  before  her  on  the  mor- 
row, and  was  also  keeping  her  friend  from  her  rest. 

She  bade  Josephine  a  loving  "  good-night,"  and 
went  to  her  own  room  to  dream  of  her  present  hap- 
piness and  the  joys  awaiting  her;  while  Josephine 
spent  another  night  in  mortal  combat  with  the  giant 
—Self. 


288  STEP  BY   STEP 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE  next  morning  Margaret  bade  an  affectionate 
farewell  to  her  friends,  expressing  her  appreciation 
of  all  they  had  done  to  make  her  visit  enjoyable,  and 
turned  her  face  once  more  toward  Boston,  where- 
upon life  in  John  Sherburne's  home  settled  back 
into  its  usual  routine. 

But  a  great  change  in  Josephine  soon  became 
apparent.  Now  that  the  necessity  for  dissembling 
was  past  the  reaction  came,  and  she  seemed  to  have 
neither  courage  nor  strength  to  resist  it. 

She  had  believed  that  she  had  fought  her  battle 
to  the  end,  on  New  Year's  night,  upon  discovering 
that  Louis  and  Margaret  had  come  to  a  definite 
understanding;  but  day  after  day  the  struggle  was 
renewed  until  she  almost  despaired  of  ever  rising 
above  it. 

"  Did  I  ever  really  conquer  self? "  she  sighed. 
"  Was  that  experience  of  the  old  school  days  an 
actual  victory  or  did  I  only  superficially  embrace 
an  ideal  that  attracted  me  for  the  time?  Were  the 
jealousy  and  selfishness  of  my  nature  really  over- 
come, or  were  they  simply  covered  up,  glossed  over 
for  a  while,  only  to  break  forth  with  more  malig- 
nant force  upon  another  seeming  provocation?  Did 
I  ever  really  love  Margaret?  Have  I  ever  been  a 


STEP  BY   STEP  289 

true  friend  to  her — true  enough  to  be  willing  to 
trample  self  under  foot  for  her  sake,  to  renounce 
all  I  hold  most  dear  to  make  her  happy?  Can  I  do 
this  now,  so  completely,  so  utterly  that  no  sting 
of  bitterness  will  be  left  to  rankle  and  my  love  be 
just  as  spontaneous  as  it  has  seemed  during  the  last 
five  years?  It  must  be  that  or  nothing;  for,  as 
Miss  Wellington  says,  '  anything  short  of  absolute 
right  is  absolute  wrong.'  Am  I  equal  to  it?  Oh, 
I  do  not  know,  I  cannot  tell — yet." 

Thus  the  conflict  raged  within  Josephine's 
wounded  heart,  •  while  she  grew  strangely  morbid 
and  indifferent  to  all  that  was  going  on  around  her. 
Both  Mr.  Sherburne  and  Miss  Wellington  began 
to  be  quite  exercised  in  view  of  her  condition.  Miss 
Wellington  thought  she  understood  what  was  the 
trouble ;  but  she  felt  that  it  was  too  delicate  a  matter 
to  be  meddled  with  unless  the  girl  voluntarily  gave 
her  confidence  and  sought  her  counsel  and  sympathy. 
She  was,  however,  very  tender  and  thoughtful  to- 
ward Josephine  and  shielded  her  in  every  possible 
way  when  her  uncle  became  too  inquisitive  and 
solicitous. 

Mr.  Sherburne  proposed  a  trip  to  Southern  Cali- 
fornia and  Mexico,  hoping  that  change  of  air  and 
scene  would  be  beneficial.  But  Josephine  said  she 
did  not  care  to  travel;  she  preferred  the  comforts 
and  quiet  of  home.  She  well  knew  that,  go  where 
she  would,  she  could  never  get  away  from  the  ques- 
tion at  issue — the  question  whether  she  would  con- 
quer or  be  conquered. 


290  STEP  BY   STEP 

One  dismal,  stormy  day,  feeling  more  than  usu- 
ally depressed  and  intolerant  of  her  troublesome 
thoughts,  Josephine  took  her  work-basket  and  went 
across  the  hall  to  Miss  Wellington's  room,  with  the 
hope  of  forgetting  herself  for  awhile  in  the  society 
of  another. 

"  Come  in,  dear,"  said  a  gentle  voice  from  within 
— a  voice  which  always  seemed  to  carry  with  it  a 
"  peace  be  unto  you." 

Entering,  Josephine  found  the  woman  seated  in 
the  wide,  sunny  bay  window  engaged  in  looking  over 
a  box  of  old  letters. 

"  You  are  busy,"  she  said  and  pausing  upon  the 
threshold  as  she  saw  the  nature  of  Miss  Welling- 
ton's occupation. 

"  No,  dear,  I  am  nearly  through ;  so  come  right 
in,"  cordially  responded  Miss  Wellington,  adding: 
"  These  are  some  letters  that  belonged  to  Louis' 
mother  and  which  he  never  felt  any  desire  to  ex- 
amine. He  wanted  to  burn  them,  but  I  thought 
they  ought  to  be  looked  over  first  and  he  begged 
me  to  do  it  for  him.  I  haven't  found  anything  of 
special  interest  yet  excepting  perhaps  some  corre- 
spondence which,  I  judge,  may  have  passed  between 
his  grandfather  and  grandmother  on  his  mother's 
side,  as  they  both  refer  to  l  our  daughter  Annie/ 
The  letters  were  written  in  England  many  years 
ago.  There  are  also  some  others  from  his  father, 
evidently  penned  to  his  mother  before  their  mar- 
riage." 

"  Then  Louis'  mother  was  an  English  lady?  "  Jo- 


STEP  BY   STEP  291 

sephine  observed  in  a  tone  of  interest,  as  she  drew 
up  a  rocker  beside  her  companion. 

"  Yes,  she  was  born  in  England,  but  came  to  this 
country  when  quite  young." 

"  "What  was  her  maiden  name?  "  the  girl  inquired, 
more  for  the  sake  of  saying  something  than  because 
she  really  cared  to  know. 

"  Annie  Judkins,"  replied  Miss  Wellington  as 
she  took  another  letter  from  its  envelope  and  un- 
folded it. 

Josephine  felt  as  if  she  had  received  an  electric 
shock  as  the  name  fell  upon  her  ears,  and  instantly 
the  incident  which  had  occurred  in  the  station  while 
she  and  Mr.  Sherburne  had  been  waiting  to  meet 
Margaret  flashed  through  her  mind. 

"  Judkins !  "  she  repeated  musingly ;  "  I  wonder 
if  she  could  have  been  related  to  a  man  named  Nate 
or  Nathan  Judkins." 

Miss  Wellington  looked  up  in  surprise  from  the 
sheet  she  was  perusing. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know.  No  such  name  'appears 
in  any  of  these  letters,"  she  said.  "  These,  which  I 
surmise  were  written  by  her  father  to  her  mother, 
bear  no  surname;  they  are  simply  signed  'John.' 
Here  is  one  now,"  she  continued  as  she  glanced 
at  the  signature  of  another  epistle  she  had  just 
opened,  "  and  the  man  wrote  a  very  round,  clear 
hand." 

Then  Miss  Wellington  herself  experienced  a 
sudden  shock  as  it  dawned  upon  her  that  the  chirog- 
raphy  of  that  name  "  John "  was  very  similar  to, 


292  STEP   BY   STEP 

if  not  identical  with,  the  one  written  on  the  back  of 
the  photograph  of  the  English  soldier  which  she 
had  reclaimed  from  the  rubbish  that  Mr.  Sherburne 
had  ordered  to  be  thrown  away  after  the  cleaning 
of  the  library.  But  she  made  no  comment;  she  sim- 
ply said  to  herself,  "  I'll  ask  Louis  to  compare 
them,"  and  she  was  so  absorbed  in  this  new  phase  of 
the  old  mystery  that  she  forgot  her  surprise  at 
Josephine's  question  about  the  name  of  Nate  or 
Nathan  Judkins. 

"  Here  is  a  curious  old  relic,"  she  presently  ob- 
•served,  as  she  lifted  from  the  box  a  worn  and  faded 
but  richly  embossed  leather  case,  about  eight  inches 
long  by  five  wide,  and  held  it  up  before  Josephine. 
"  It  must  have  been  a  very  handsome  thing  in  its  day 
and  quite  expensive.  It  has  an  inter-lining  of  oil 
silk  between  the  leather  and  the  green  satin,  and  I 
think  it  must  have  been  made  for  some  one  going 
on  a  sea- voyage,  to  keep  letter-paper,  envelopes, 
stamps,  etc.,  from  becoming  damp.  See !  the  various 
compartments  look  as  if  intended  for  writing  ma- 
terials." 

Josephine  took  the  case  from  her  and  examined 
it  with  some  manifestation  of  interest.  But  even 
though  it  had  evidently  been  a  rich  and  costly  thing 
in  its  day,  it  seemed  to  her  to  be  utterly  worthless 
now,  and  she  presently  laid  it  aside  and  resumed  her 
work,  chatting  with  her  companion,  who  was  tying 
her  carefully  assorted  letters  into  packages,  prepara- 
tory to  putting  them  away. 

In  the  midst  of  this  a  maid  appeared,  who  came 


STEP  BY   STEP  293 

to  say  the  cook  would  like  to  see  the  housekeeper 
below  on  some  matter  pertaining  to  dinner. 

"  I  won't  be  long,  Josephine,  so  stay  where  you 
are  till  I  come  back,"  Miss  Wellington  observed,  as 
she  arose  to  leave  the  room. 

Josephine  took  a  few  stitches  after  she  was  left 
alone,  then  her  hands  dropped  listlessly  upon  her  lap, 
and  she  fell  to  thinKing  over  what  Miss  Wellington 
had  told  her  regarding  Louis'  mother. 

"  So  she  was  an  English  woman,  and  her  name  was 
Annie  Judkins,"  she  mused.  "  How  queer !  I  won- 
der if  there  can  be  the  remotest  connection  between 
her  and  the  man,  Xate  Judkins,  of  whom  that  tipsy 
stranger  spoke  that  night." 

As  she  sat  thinking  of  this  her  glance  fell  again 
upon  the  old  leather  case,  when  she  caught  sight  of 
something  that  looked  like  a  monogram  on  the  back 
of  it. 

Reaching  for  it  she  began  to  study  it.  It  was  al- 
most obliterated  in  places,  but,  carefully  tracing  it 
with  her  needle,  she  finally  made  out  the  letters: 
"  J.  S." 

"  Those  are  Uncle  John's  initials !  What  a  strange 
coincidence !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  And — Miss  Wel- 
lington said  those  letters  were  signed  '  John.'  It  is 
rather  a  singular  mix-up  of  names  and  identities. 
That  man  addressed  Uncle  John  as  Nate  Judkins. 
Louis'  mother's  name  was  Annie  Judkins,  and  his 
grandfather's  was  John !  " 

As  she  was  peeping  into  the  various  compartments 
of  the  case,  in  an  aimless  kind  of  way,  she  thought 


294  STEP   BY   STEP 

she  detected  a  slight  crackle  as  if  there  were  a  piece 
of  stiff  paper  between  the  lining  and  the  leather. 
Examining  it  more  closely  she  found  that  a  slit  had 
been  cut  in  the  oil-silk  interlining.  She  inserted  her 
fingers  in  the  aperture  and  brought  to  light  a  folded 
paper  yellow  with  age,  but  otherwise  looking  as  if 
it  had  never  before  been  disturbed  in  its  hiding-place. 

Without  pausing  to  consider  that  she  might  be 
prying  into  something  she  had  no  right  to  know, 
she  opened  it,  and  the  first  line  her  eyes  fell  upon 
caused  a  cry  of  amazement  to  burst  from  her. 

It  was  the  record  of  a  marriage.  Beneath  this  a 
birth  was  recorded,  and  on  the  next  line,  beside  a 
date  ten  years  later,  the  entry  of  a  death. 

Then  there  followed  some  closely  written  pages 
which  Josephine's  eager  eyes  devoured  with  almost 
lightning-like  rapidity. 

By  the  time  she  reached  the  end  her  face  was 
absolutely  colorless,  and  wore  a  look  of  unspeakable 
horror. 

"  What  can  it  mean  ?  "  «he  panted.  Then,  throw- 
ing out  one  hand  with  a  repelling  gesture — "  I  see 
— I  see !  Everything  is  explained '  Oh,  why  should 
/  have  been  the  one  to  discover  it  ?  " 

She  was  greatly  excited,  and  hastily  refolding  the 
paper  was  about  to  slip  it  back  into  its  place  of  con- 
cealment, when  an  unaccountable  impulse  caused  her 
to  seize  a  pencil  from  her  work-basket  and  a  piece  of 
blank  paper  and  copy  the  names  and  dates  of  that 
marriage,  birth  and  death. 

The  brief  story  related  beneath  she  had  no  need 


STEP  BY   STEP  295 

to  copy;  she  would  never  be  able  to  forget  it  if  she 
lived  a  hundred  years ! 

The  copy  made,  she  carefully  replaced  the  paper 
where  she  had  founo  it,  pressing  the  oil-silk  inter- 
lining down  hard  upon  it  and  smoothing  the  satin 
over  that.  Then  she  put  the  case  back  with  the  let- 
ters, but  feeling  strangely  like  a  thief  as  she  did  so. 

When  Miss  Wellington  returned  Josephine  was 
busily  engaged  with  her  fancy-work,  and  forced  her- 
self to  be  cheerful  and  social,  even  though  her  mind 
was  in  a  whirl  until  the  lunch-bell  rang. 

As  soon  as  the  meal  was  over  Josephine  went  di- 
rectly to  her  own  room  and  locked  herself  in.  Then, 
all  her  forced  strength  forsaking  her,  she  sank  in  a 
heap  upon  the  floor,  dropping  her  face  upon  her 
knees.  She  was  miserable  and  wildly  rebellious  in 
view  of  the  secret  which  had  been  revealed  to  her 
that  morning.  Why — why  had  it  fallen  to  her  lot 
to  discover  it?  Why  had  she  been  possessed  to  pry 
into  the  secret  recesses  of  that  old  leather  case  ?  Oh, 
if  she  had  only  let  it  alone — if  she  had  not  touched 
it  the  second  time!  It  was  cruel,  it  was  horrible; 
and  now  there  was  no  escape  from  its  menace. 

She,  the  adopted  daughter  and  heiress  of  John 
Sherburne,  alone  held  in  her  keeping  the  fate  of  four 
people:  Louis,  Margaret,  her  uncle  John,  and — her- 
self. Had  she  not  already  had  enough  to  bear  with- 
out having  this  fearful  responsibility,  with  its  crush- 
ing shame  and  sacrifice,  also  laid  upon  her  ? 

Could  she  ever  meet  what  seemed  to  lie  before  her  ? 
Did  she  possess  sufficient  regard  for  truth  and  honor 


296  STEP   BY   STEP 

to  go  boldly  to  the  friend  to  whom  she  owed  BO  much, 
tell  him  that  she  had  unearthed  the  secret  of  his  life, 
and  take  her  stand  for  the  right,  in  the  face  of  all 
that  he  had  done  for  her  ? 

Then  came  the  temptation  to  let  it  alone,  and  pos- 
sibly some  one  else — Louis  or  Miss  Wellington — 
might  yet  find  what  she  had  found;  then  let  Louis 
face  John  Sherburne  with  it — it  was  his  affair  more 
than  hers — and  demand  restitution.  She  would  thus 
escape  acting  the  part  of  the  viper  which  stung  the 
bosom  that  warmed  it.  That,  to  her,  seemed  the 
cruelest  feature  of  the  whole  matter. 

In  the  midst  of  these  arguments  came  the  appall- 
ing thought  that  it  was  beyond  the  power  of  John 
Sherburne  to  right  this  wrong,  for  had  he  not  already 
endowed  her  with  all  that  he  possessed  ?  And,  like 
a  blow  in  the  face,  there  swiftly  followed  the  con- 
viction that  he  had  done  this  very  thing  to  secure 
his  ill-gotten  wealth,  and  so,  by  making  her  his  bene- 
ficiary, had  shifted  all  responsibility  from  his  shoul- 
ders to  hers. 

Her  blood  boiled  with  indignation  as  she  realized 
that  she  had  been  made  accessory — even  though  un- 
consciously— to  such  a  plot.  She  saw  that,  as  mat- 
ters now  stood,  she  could  retain  possession  of  this 
fortune,  and  no  one  could  wrest  it  from  her,  and  the 
future  of  both  would  be  luxuriously  provided  for. 

"  Did  he  imagine  that  I  would  lend  myself 
to  such  a  scheme?"  she  panted,  springing  to  her 
feet  and  pacing  the  floor  excitedly.  "  He  might 
never  have  been  detected  but  for  what  I  found  this 


STEP  BY   STEP  297 

morning;  yet  even  if  some  one  else  had  discovered 
it,  could  he  believe  that  I  would  keep  what  I  had 
no  moral  right  to  have?  Oh,  Uncle  John — Uncle 
John!  it  was  unworthy  of  you.  It  was  unfair  to 
me;  and  I  loved  you  so;  I  love  you  now,  in  spite 
of  all,  for  you  have  always  been  good  to  me." 

"  Now  what  am  I  going  to  do  ?  "  she  moaned. 
"  Of  course  I  know  what  is  the  right  thing  to  do, 
and  if  I  do  it  Louis  and  Margaret  need  not  wait  two 
long  years  for  their  home.  Margaret  once  sacri- 
ficed herself  for  a  foe;  do  I  now  possess  sufficient 
principle  and  fortitude  to  deal  justly  and  keep  my 
friend,  preserve  my  honor,  my  self-respect,  my  peace 
of  mind  ?  " 

Just  then  her  glance  fell  upon  a  silken  scarf  that 
hung  over  the  foot-rail  of  her  bed.  It  was  one  that 
Margaret  had  forgotten  when  she  went  home,  and 
Josephine  had  intended  to  send  it  to  her  that  very 
day  by  mail.  She  caught  it  up  with  a  pathetic  little 
cry,  and,  burying  her  face  in  its  soft  folds,  fell  to 
weeping  in  utter  abandonment. 

With  this  rain  of  tears  there  was  poured  forth  all 
the  bitterness  that  had  so  rankled  in  her  heart  dur- 
ing the  last  few  weeks,  while  a  flood  of  love  and 
peace,  together  with  a  buoyant  sense  of  supremacy 
over  all  that  had  seemed  to  crush  her  to  earth, 
flowed  in,  like  balm  and  oil,  to  soothe  and  heal.  It 
was  the  "  Peace,  be  still "  after  the  storm  and  tem- 
pest, and  at  length,  with  a  restful  little  sigh,  she 
lifted  her  head  and  wiped  her  tear-laden  cheeks. 

But  a  look  of  dismay  overspread  her  face  as  she 


298  STEP  BY   STEP 

saw  the  soaked  and  discolored  scarf  in  her  hands. 

"  Margaret's  scarf  is  ruined !  "  she  said.  Then  a 
smile  chased  the  clouds  away  as  she  added :  "  But 
it  is  baptized  with  love,  and  I  shall  keep  it  as  long 
as  I  live." 

A  couple  of  days  later  Mr.  Sherburne  returned 
from  his  office  in  high  spirits,  and,  while  the  family 
were  at  dinner,  burst  forth  with  almost  boyish 
eagerness : 

"  How  would  you  like  a  trip  to  Europe,  Josie  ? " 

"  That  has  been  a  delectable  prospect  which  I 
have  nursed  for  a  good  many  years,"  Josephine  re- 
plied, repressing  a  sigh.  "  You  know  papa  prom- 
ised to  give  me  a  year  of  travel  abroad  as  soon  as  I 
finished  my  college  course." 

"  Well,  you  shall  have  it  now,  my  girl,"  said  her 
uncle  cheerily.  "  I've  about  made  up  my  mind  to 
rest  on  my  oars  for  awhile.  Business  has  been 
booming  of  late,  and  there  is  another  fat  plum 
about  ready  to  drop  into  your  basket,  Miss  Ash- 
ton;  so  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  we  may  as  well 
have  a  real  good  time  for  the  next  two  or  three 
years." 

Miss  Wellington  found  herself  wondering  if  the 
"  fat  plum "  had  ripened  upon  the  bogus  mine 
which  had  been  the  rock  upon  which  Mr.  Sherburne 
and  Louis  had  split;  and  Josephine  was  also  cringing 
under  a  similar  thought.  But  the  gentleman  was  so 
engrossed  with  his  subject,  he  went  on  talking  of  his 
plans,  mentioning  various  places  he  wished  to  visit, 
and  questioning  Josephine  regarding  her  prefer- 


STEP   BY   STEP  299 

ences.  Consequently  he  did  not  appear  to  observe 
her  lack  of  enthusiasm  regarding  the  proposed  trip. 

When  dinner  was  over  he  asked  her  to  come  to 
the  library  and  examine  some  itineraries  which  he 
had  brought  home  to  discuss  with  her. 

Josephine  followed  him  with  a  quaking  heart,  for 
she  realized  that  the  time  had  come  for  her  to  tell 
her  uncle  the  secret  she  had  discovered.  She  lis- 
tened quietly  while  he  read  aloud  an  attractive  pros- 
pectus; and  when  he  finally  laid  it  aside  she  in- 
quired, by  way  of  opening  the  subject  so  near  her 
heart : 

"  What  will  be  the  expense  of  such  a  trip,  Uncle 
John?" 

The  man  turned  to  her  with  a  good-natured  laugh. 

"  Miss  Ashton,  you  do  not  need  to  care  what  the 
expense  will  be,"  he  said.  "  You  have  money 
enough  and  to  spare." 

"  But  I  have  never  felt  as  if  it  really  belonged 
to  me,"  Josephine  replied  with  rising  color.  "  I — I 
suppose  there  is  a  great  deal." 

"  Well,  I  don't  imagine  we  would  rank  with  so- 
called  money  kings;  but  I've  always  been  pretty 
lucky  in  business,  and  am  more  than  satisfied  with 
the  results." 

"  But  you  had  a  fine  windfall  to  begin  with, 
hadn't  you?  I  once  heard  Aunt  Madeline  tell 
mamma  that  you  inherited  quite  a  fortune." 

John  Sherburne  frowned  with  annoyance. 

"  Well,  yes;  there  were  some  twenty  thousand 


300  STEP  BY   STEP 

pounds  that  came  to  me  from — from  a  relative," 
he  reluctantly  admitted. 

"  That  is  about  a  hundred  thousand  dollars,  I  be- 
lieve," thoughtfully  observed  the  girl,  with  quick- 
ening heart-throbs. 

"  Ye — es ;  but  what  are  you  driving  at,  Josie  ?  " 
queried  her  guardian,  bending  a  curious  look  upon 
her. 

Josephine  moved  her  chair  closer  to  his  side,  and 
lifted  a  pale,  grave  face  to  him. 

"  Uncle  John,"  she  began  tremulously,  "  I  had 
an  object  in  asking  you  these  questions;  and  now 
will  you  be  very  kind  and  patient  while  I  tell  vou 
a  little  story  that  I  have  recently  learned  ? " 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply  she  went  on  rapidly: 

"  Away  back  in  18 —  the  eldest  son  of  John 
Sherburne,  Senior,  an  ironmonger  of  England, 
married  against  his  father's  wishes.  He  was  dis- 
inherited, and  all  the  ironmonger's  property  was 
willed  to  the  younger  son,  James  John  Sherburne, 
Junior,  afterward  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  Her  Maj- 
esty's Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  where,  in  time,  he 
became  a  captain.  Later  he  was  discharged  be- 
cause of  illness  and  disability.  After  lingering 
some  time  he  died.  The  evening  previous  to  his 
burial  a  deserter — wait,  Uncle  John  " — as  the  man, 
who  until  that  moment  had  sat  as  if  frozen,  gave  a 
violent  start — "  a  deserter  named  Nathan  Judkins 
sought  refuge  with  Mrs.  Sherburne.  Upon  learn- 
ing of  her  affliction,  and  that  she  and  her  child 
were  reduced  to  absolute  want,  without  even  the 


STEP  BY   STEP  301 

necessary  money  for  funeral  expenses,  Nathan  Jud- 
kins  offered  to  buy  her  husband's  discharge  papers 
and  pay  her  a  large  sum  for  them,  provided  she 
would  assume  the  name  of  Judkins,  he  taking  that 
of  John  Sherburne.  Thus  protected,  he  would  be 
able  to  evade  the  officers  who  were  on  his  track, 
and  so  make  good  his  escape.  Half-crazed  with 
grief  and  her  financial  troubles,  the  widow  con- 
sented. She  never  fully  realized  what  a  grave 
mistake  she  had  made  until,  a  few  years  after  com- 
ing to  this  country,  she  read  an  advertisement  for 
the  nearest  of  kin  to  James  Wilton  Sherburne, 

— shire,  England,  and  knew  that  she  had  sold 
the  birthright  of  her  only  child." 

"  Good  Heavens,  Josephine,  what  do  you  mean  ? 
Who  told  you  this  story?  Are  you  crazy?"  John 
Sherburne  leaned  forward  and  laid  an  almost  sav- 
age grip  upon  her  arm.  There  was  a  wild  light  in 
his  eyes  that  made  her  shrink  involuntarily  from 
him. 

"  Xo,  Uncle  John,  I  am  not  crazy ;  though  dur- 
ing the  last  few  days  I  have  been  almost  crushed 
by  the  burden  of  this  secret.  I  learned  the  story 
from  a  written  statement  left  by  the  widow  of  the 
real  John  Sherburne,  who  was  a  captain  in  Her 
Majesty's  Fifty-seventh." 

"  Where  did  you  get  that  statement?  "  demanded 
Her  uncle  sharply. 

"  I  found  it.  It  is  a  secret  which  I  alone  possess 
as  yet,  although  it  is  liable  to  be  discovered  by  others 
at  any  time.  Here  is  a  record  of  John  Sherburne's 


302  STEP   BY   STEP 

family,  which  I  copied  from  the  statement."  Draw- 
ing a  slip  of  paper  from  the  folds  of  her  corsage,  she 
laid  it  in  his  hand. 

The  man  was  greatly  excited,  and  trembled  vis- 
ibly as  he  grasped  the  paper  and  held  it  up  to  the 
light  to  read;  but  he  breathed  easier  after  taking 
in  with  one  quick  glance  that  brief  record  of  mar- 
riage, birth,  and  death. 

"Humph!  this  doesn't  amount  to  very  much," 
he  observed.  "  Where  is  the  story  that  goes  with 
it?" 

"  I  did  not  have  time  to  copy  that,"  Josephine  re- 
plied. "  I  only  read  it  very  hurriedly.  I  suppose  I 
had  no  right  to  do  that;  but  those  names  so  startled 
me  that  I  devoured  what  followed  almost  before 
I  knew  what  I  was  about.  You  say  this  record  does 
not  amount  to  very  much;  but  it  amounts  to  a  great 
deal,  in  my  opinion.  John  Sherburne  married 
Mary  Harworth  in  18 — .  They  had  one  child, 
Annie  Sherburne,  who  was  ten  years  old  when  her 
father  died.  She  afterwards  became  the  wife  of 
Albert  Arnold;  and  Louis  Arnold  is  the  grandson 
of  Captain  John  Sherburne  and — the  nearest  of 
kin  to  James  Wilton  Sherburne;  so 

"  Well  ? "  came  impatiently  from  between  the 
man's  tightly  shut  teeth  as  she  paused. 

"  You  remember  how,  the  night  we  went  to  the 
station  to  meet  Margaret,  a  man  accosted  you  by 
the  name  of  Nate  Judkins " 

"Well?" 

"And" — Josephine  was  very  pale;  she  was  find- 


STEP   BY   STEP  303 

ing  her  self-imposed  task  very  trying — "  I  had  seen 
Captain  John  Sherburne's  discharge.  Vou  had  told 
me  it  was  yours " 

"  And  it  is  mine,"  interposed  her  companion,  with 
colorless  lips,  but  with  a  hunted  look  in  his  eyes. 

"  So," — Josephine  forced  herself  to  finish  what 
she  had  to  say — "  after  reading  Mrs.  Sherburne's 
statement,  it  came  to  me  that  you  were  the  man  who 
had  bought  her  husband's  discharge  and " 

Her  voice  failed  her  utterly  at  this  point,  and  she 
dropped  her  head  wearily  upon  her  hand. 

"  And  you  believe  that  /  am  that  deserter — 
Xathan  Judkins!  that  /  bought  John  Sherburne's 
discharge  of  his  widow,  and  afterwards  passed  my- 
self off  as  nearest  of  kin  to  James  Wilton  Sher- 
burne,  and  appropriated  his  fortune!  A  fine  char- 
acter you  have  made  out  your  uncle  to  be,  Miss  Ash- 
ton!  "  The  man's  tone  was  exceeding  bitter  as  he 
concluded,  and  his  face  was  distorted  with  mingled 
pain  and  anger. 

"  Oh,  Uncle  John!  "  breathed  the  girl  almost  in- 
audibly,  as  she  laid  an  appealing  hand  upon  his  arm. 

He  did  not  appear  to  hear  her.  He  sat  straight 
and  rigid  in  his  chair,  thinking,  with  every  faculty 
of  his  mind  alert ;  going  over  every  step  of  his  career 
and,  while  conscious  that  he  was  finally  unmasked, 
at  least  to  Josephine,  trying  to  find  some  loop-hole 
of  escape  from  the  terrible  tangle. 

The  bitterest  drop  in  his  poisoned  cup,  however, 
was  the  fact  that  this  girl — the  only  being  in  the 
world  whom  he  loved  and  who  possessed  any  affec- 


304  STEP  BY  STEP 

tion  for  him — had  been  the  one  to  unearth  his  secret. 
It  was  with  a  feeling  akin  to  despair  he  realized  that 
his  life  would  be  a  blank  without  her. 

If,  now  that  he  stood  revealed  to  her  as  the 
crafty  schemer  and  impostor  which  all  his  life  he 
had  been,  she  should  repudiate  him,  he  knew  that 
all  the  wealth  of  the  world  would  not  make  up  to 
him  for  such  a  loss. 

Her  pallor  and  evident  suffering  also  hurt  him 
deeply.  Were  they  caused  by  her  disappointment 
in  him,  or  by  the  prospect  of  losing  the  fortune 
which  he  had  settled  upon  her? 

"  You  have  not  yet  told  me,  Josephine,  where 
you  found  this  story,"  he  at  length  remarked,  after 
having  forced  himself  to  a  semblance  of  calmness. 

"  In  an  old  leather  case  which  had  been  put  away 
with  some:  letters  belonging  to  Louis  Arnold's 
mother,"  she  told  him,  and  then  related  in  detail 
just  how  the  discovery  had  been  made. 

"  Do  you  suppose  Miss  Wellington  still  has  that 
case  here  ? "  he  inquired  when  she  concluded. 

"  I  cannot  say,  Uncle  John ;  she  may  have  returned 
it  to  Louis,"  Josephine  responded,  as  she  flashed  a 
searching  glance  into  his  face.  "  I  am  quite  sure, 
though,  that  she  has  not  discovered  what  I  know,  for 
I  was  very  careful  to  put  the  paper  back  just  where 
I  found  it,  and  I — I  pressed  the  oil-silk  down  close 
over  it.  My  first  impulse  was  to  conceal  what  I  had 
learned  from  everyone,  for  your  sake  and  for  my 
own,  too,  for  like  a  flash  it  rushed  in  upon  my  mind 
what  such  a  discovery  would  mean  to  us  both." 


STEP   BY   STEP  305 

She  paused  a  moment,  then  lifted  her  eyes  to  his, 
a  clear  and  steady  light  shining  in  them. 

"  That  shows  you,  Uncle  John,"  she  resumed, 
"  that  I  am  not  above  being  tempted.  There  has 
always  been  a  great  deal  that  was  arrogant,  selfish, 
and  mean  in  my  make-up,  and  I  am  going  to  tell  you 
something  of  a  terrible  experience  I  once  had  because 
I  allowed  myself  to  be  governed  by  those  propen- 
sities." 

"  Don't  tell  me  anything  that  will  pain  you  to  re- 
call," Mr.  Sherburne  interposed. 

"  Yes,  I  am  going  to,  for  I  think  it  may  help  us 
both  to  do  right  now,"  Josephine  returned.  "  Mar- 
garet Lawrence  and  1^  as  you  know,  were  classmates 
in  high  school  at  home,  during  our  senior  year.  I 
had  led  the  class  until  she  came.  Then  she  went  to 
the  front  and  I  became  so  wildly  jealous  of  her  I 
determined  I  would  ruin  her  record  and  get  the  lead 
again.  We  were  forbidden  to  use  a  mathematical 
key — she  was  specially  brilliant  in  mathematics — 
and  I  hid  one  that  belonged  to  Rob  in  her  desk.  It 
was  found  there  by  the  principal,  and  Margaret  was 
publicly  reprimanded.  But  there  was  something 
found  in  the  book  which  betrayed  my  agency,  though 
I  wouldn't  admit  it  even  then.  Margaret,  however, 
insisted  that  my  name  should  not  be  known  in  con- 
nection with  the  discovery,  saying  she  would  rather 
never  be  set  right  than  have  me  publicly  disgraced 
— only  the  principal  and  one  other  knew  anything 
about  it.  But  Mr.  Allyn  declared  that  Margaret 
must  be  exonerated  before  the  class.  Of  course  I 


306  STEP  BY  STEP 

knew  I  ought  to  confess  the  whole  thing;  but  I  was 
obstinate  and  seemed  to  hate  Margaret  all  the  more 
because  of  her  goodness  in  shielding  me.  A  few 
months  later  she  saved  me  from  a  bad  accident  and 
my  ponies  from  being  killed — but  you  know  all  about 
that — and  that  broke  my  wicked  spirit.  I  confessed 
everything  to  her,  and  told  the  whole  class  about  the 
key " 

"  Great  Scott,  Josephine,  that  was  pluck !  "  Mr. 
Sherburne  here  exclaimed,  in  a  burst  of  admiration. 

"  Pluck  ?  "  she  repeated  scornfully.  "It  was  but 
tardy  justice,  and  I  never  knew  a  peaceful  moment 
until  I  did  it.  I  could  never  forget  it — it  was  like 
a  poisoned  thorn  fastened  and  corroding  in  my  flesh. 
But  Margaret  was  so  dear  about  it;  and,  after  that, 
we  grew  to  love  each  other,  and  have  been  the  closest 
friends  ever  since,  until — until  she  came  here  for 
her  visit." 

"  Until  she  came  here  ?  Why,  Josephine  ?  "  said 
her  companion  in  great  surprise. 

"Yes — and  oh,  Uncle  John,  this  is  worse  than  the 
other,"  returned  Josephine,  hiding  her  scarlet  face 
against  his  shoulder. 

"  Then  don't  tell  it,  my  girl,"  he  said,  as  he  softly 
stroked  the  brown  head  with  an  unsteady  hand. 

"  Yes ;  I  must  finish,"  she  asserted,  as  she  sat 
erect  again  and  resolutely  resumed :  "  Before  she 
came — yes,  even  before  I  left  high  school — I  was 
fond  of — Louis." 

"Josiel" 


STEP  BY   STEP  307 

"  Wait,  please,"  she  pleaded,  with  a  catch  in  her 
breath. 

"  After  he  came  to  Chicago  the  feeling  grew  and 
grew;  but  when  Margaret  came  I  saw,  almost  from 
the  first,  that  they  had  chosen  each  other.  Then  I 
had  all  that  old  hate  and  jealousy,  which  I  thought 
had  been  rooted  out  of  my  nature  so  long  ago,  to 
battle  with  again.  I  cannot  tell  you  what  a  dreadful 
time  I  had,  nor  how  I  ever  got  through  that  last  week 
of  her  visit." 

"  Ah !  now  I  understand,"  interposed  Mr.  Sher- 
burne,  as  he  recalled  the  reaction  that  followed  Mar- 
garet's departure. 

"  The  last  night  Margaret  was  here,"  Josephine 
went  on,  without  seeming  to  heed  the  interruption, 
"  she  told  me  of  her  engagement  and  showed  me  her 
ring,  and  I  have  been  like  two  individuals  in  mortal 
combat  with  each  other  ever  since.  Then,  to  cap  the 

climax,  came  this  revelation  that — that "  She 

paused  and  lifted  an  appealing  look  to  the  man  beside 
her. 

"  Go  on !  "  he  commanded,  with  paling  lips. 

"  This  revelation  that  Louis  Arnold's  grandfather 
— not  you — was  Captain  John  Sherburne,  of  Her 
Majesty's  Fifty-seventh,  and  the  rightful  heir  to  the 
fortune  left  by  his  brother,  James  Wilton  Sherburne, 
and  which  now  legally  belongs  to  Louis  Arnold,  to- 
gether with  a  proper  rate  of  interest  for  the  years 
he  has  been  deprived  of  it" 


308  STEP  BY  STEP 


CHAPTEK   XXII 

JOSEPHINE  paused  again,  but  John  Sherburne 
made  no  comment,  although  the  expression  on  his 
face  told  of  strongly  conflicting  emotions  within; 
and  she  resumed: 

"  It  took  my  breath  away  when  I  first  grasped  the 
truth.  I  saw  that  Louis  would  marry  Margaret  very 
soon — with  this  fortune  they  would  not  need  to  wait 
two  long  years,  as  they  had  planned — while  you 
and  I  perhaps  might  be  reduced  to  poverty.  Why 
should  Margaret  always  come  between  me  and  my 
fondest  hopes?.  I  asked  myself  with  jealous  bitter- 
ness. First  she  won  class  honors  from  me;  then 
she  won  Louis,  and  with  him  will  share  the  fortune 
which  I  had  begun  to  look  upon  as  mine.  It  wasn't 
fair,  I  said,  and  then — I  hid  that  paper  again  in 
the  case.  You  can  see,  Uncle  John,  how  the  evil 
in  me  cropped  up  anew,  and  I  found  myself  upon 
the  verge  of  an  abyss  which,  as  I  gazed  into  it, 
made  me  shrink  back  appalled.  Oh,  I  cannot  live 
it  over  again;  but  I  struggled  until  I  could  battle 
no  longer,  then  something  within  me  let  go — I  am 
sure  it  was  my  selfish  will — -and  everything  seemed 
to  whirl  and  slip  away  from  me  for  a  little.  The 
letting-go  saved  me.  I  knew  then  that  nothing 
could  tempt  me  to  lend  myself  to  the  perpetuation 


"  I  will  not  do  it,"  he  cried,  excitedly. 


Page  310 


STEP  BY  STEP  309 

of  this  wrong.  I  knew  that  self  was  really  con- 
quered and  I  need  not  lose  my  friend,  my  capacity 
to  love,  my  honor,  my  self-respect.  Then  I  saw  I 
must  come  to  you,  tell  you  what  I  had  learned,  also 
of  my  resolve  to  do  what  is  right  and  beg  you  to 
deal  justly  also." 

After  she  ceased  speaking  there  followed  a  long 
silence,  during  which  John  Sherburne  sat  with 
bowed  head  and  averted  face;  and  who  shall  tell 
of  the  struggle  that  was  raging  within  his  long 
case-hardened  heart  ?  All  the  pride,  greed  and  com- 
bativeness  of  his  nature  arose  in  hot  rebellion 
against  having  the  splendid  fortune,  which  he  had 
spent  the  best  part  of  his  life  in  amassing,  wrested 
from  him  just  as  he  was  contemplating  retiring 
from  active  business,  and  anticipating  solid  enjoy- 
ment for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Great  Heavens ! 
the  mere  thought  of  restoring  to  the  rightful  heir 
those  twenty  thousand  pounds,  with  even  the  mini- 
mum rate  of  interest  added  for  all  tjhe  intervening 
years,  made  every  indi/idual  hair  stand  on  end 
and  every  separate  pore  reek  moisture. 

It  would  more  than  bankrupt  him;  and  how  could 
he  ever  hope  to  retrieve  himself,  at  his  time  of 
life,  and  make  suitable  provision  for  Josephine's 
future?  He  loved  the  girl  with  all  his  heart,  and 
could  not  endure  the  thought  of  having  her  battle 
with  the  world.  He  had  legally  adopted  her  and 
settled  his  property  upon  her  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  averting  this  very  exigency;  and  now,  strangely 
enough,  she  herself  had  seemed  to  have  been  made 


310  STEP  BY  STEP 

the  channel  through  which  justice  had  overtaken 
him. 

Josephine  covertly  watched  him  while  he  sat 
silently  revolving  the  situation  in  his  mind.  She 
had  been  calmed  and  strengthened  by  the  telling 
of  her  story  and  the  stand  she  had  taken  for  the 
right,  and  she  was  now  simply  waiting  for  him  to 
recover  from  the  first  shock  of  surprise  before  con- 
sulting with  him  regarding  the  best  and  easiest  way 
to  arrange  a  settlement  with  Louis.  Consequently 
she  was  greatly  startled  when,  without  lifting  his 
head,  he  observed: 

"  It  can  never  be  proved  against  me,  Josephine." 

"  Uncle  John ! "  she  exclaimed  in  a  shocked 
tone,  "  it  has  already  been  proven." 

"  Yes,  to  you,  perhaps,"  he  replied  in  a  hard 
voice;  ".but  even  if  Arnold  should  find  that  state- 
ment, he  could  not  prove  that  /  am  the  man  who 
bought  his  grandfather's  discharge  and  appropriated 
his  fortune.  There  may  be  many  men  in  the  world 
who  call  themselves  John  Sherburne;  and  only  one 
person  living,  besides  yourself,  has  ever  seen  that 
paper.  No;  that  old  record  alone  would  not  be 
sufficient  evidence  to  make  out  a  case  against  me, 
and  certainly  I  would  be  a  fool  to  go  to  Louis  and 
voluntarily  confess  such  a  transaction.  No,  I  will 
not  do  it,"  he  cried  excitedly,  as  he  started  to  his 
feet  and  began  to  walk  the  floor  like  some  wild 
animal  in  its  cage,  his  face  crimson,  the  veins  on. 
his  forehead  and  in  his  neck  standing  out  like  cords. 
His  eyes  burned  like  coals  of  fire,  his  teeth  were 


STEP  BY   STEP  311 

locked,  and  his  lips  compressed  in  a  line  of  relent- 
less defiance. 

Josephine  regarded  him  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling. She  had  never  dreamed  that  he  could  lose 
himself  in  such  a  passion  as  this.  Finally  she 
arose,  and,  approaching  him,  was  about  to  address 
him,  when  he  repelled  her  with  a  violent  gesture. 

"  Don't  speak  to  me !  "  he  said  fiercely.  "  Go ! 
go !  I  want  to  be  alone !  " 

The  girl  stole  softly  away,  almost  crushed  by  her 
failure  to  win  him  to  deal  justly,  but  still  steadfast 
in  her  own  determination  to  do  right 

"  I  will  never  share  a  home  or  money  that  has 
not  been  honorably  obtained,"  she  said  with  quiet 
resolution  upon  reaching  her  room;  and  with  that 
ultimatum  she  patiently  bided  her  time. 

Then  there  followed  several  days  that  were  in- 
describably dismal.  Miss  Wellington  was  not  sure 
whether  Mr.  Sherburne  was  struggling  with  illness 
or  absorbed  in  some  business  complication  that  had 
suddenly  arisen  to  annoy  him. 

Josephine,  though  secretly  miserable,  kept  her 
own  counsel,  and  calmly  waited  for  him  to  recover 
somewhat  from  this  first  shock  before  making  one 
more  appeal.  If  she  failed  again,  she  knew  she 
must  take  her  final  stand,  confess  the  discovery  of 
that  paper  to  Miss  Wellington,  and  let  matters  take 
their  course;  then  go  out  into  the  world  alone  to 
face  her  future. 

A  week  from  the  Sunday  following  Josephine's 
exciting  interview  with  her  uncle,  late  in  the  after- 


312  STEP  BY   STEP 

noon,  while  sue  was  writing  some  letters,  a  maid 
came  to  her  saying  that  Mr.  Sherburne  would  like 
to  see  her  in  the  library. 

With  a  quaking  heart  she  laid  aside  her  pen  and 
arose  to  comply  with  his  request,  wondering  within 
herself  what  would  be  the  result  of  the  interview. 

She  found  Mr.  Sherburne  lying  back  in  his 
study-chair  looking  haggard  and  weary ;  but  he 
smiled  faintly  as  she  entered  the  room,  and  held 
out  his  hand  to  her  with  something  of  his  old 
cordiality. 

"  Have  I  made  you  very  wretched  during  the 
last  ten  days,  Josephine  ? "  he  inquired  as  he  ob- 
served that  she  was  deeply  moved. 

"  I  haven't  been  very  happy,  Uncle  John,"  she 
truthfully  returned. 

"  Happy  ?  Well,  I've  been  in — hell!  "  he  hoarsely 
rejoined  with  exceeding  bitterness. 

Then  suddenly  pulling  himself  together,  he 
reached  for  a  chair  near  him,  saying: 

"  But  sit  down.  I  want  to  talk  more  about — that 
affair.  I've  come  to  the  conclusion  that  something 
has  got  to  be  done.  Do  you  think  we  could — com- 
promise the  matter  ?" 

"  Compromise  ?  "  repeated  Josephine  inquiringly. 

"  Yes.  Suppose  I  were  to  make  over  a  sum  of 
money  to  Arnold,  say  fifty  thousand  dollars,  with- 
out letting  him  know  where  it  came  from — would 
that  satisfy  your  conscience  ?  " 

"  Would  you  regard  that  as  proper  restitution? " 
Josephine  inquired. 


STEP   BY   STEP  313 

"  Well,  it  would  be  quite  a  windfall  for  a  young 
man  like  Louis,"  said  the  man,  shifting  uneasily  in  his 
chair.  "  Who  knows  but  that,  if  James  Sherburne's 
fortune  had  fallen  to  the  boy's  father  and  mother, 
it  might  have  been  squandered  long  ago  ? " 

Josephine  regarded  her  guardian  with  sad,  heavy 
eyes.  She  was  bitterly  disappointed  and  sick  at 
heart. 

"  I  do  not  see  how  there  can  be  any  compromise," 
she  said,  after  thinking  a  moment.  "  It  seems  to  me 
that  nothing  but  full  restitution  is  to  be  considered." 

"  But  that  would  mean  a  clean  breast  of  every- 
thing." 

"  Yes,  but — oh,  Uncle  John,  let  us  do  right  and 
be  happy!  "  Josephine  pleaded,  as  two  great  tears 
rolled  over  her  cheeks  and  splashed  upon  her  hands. 

The  man  groaned  aloud.  Her  tears  hurt  him 
sorely. 

"  But,  Josephine,  can't  you  see  what  would  fol- 
low for  me  ?— arrest  for  crime  and  desertion,  extra- 
dition, court-martial,  and  perhaps : 

"  Oh,  no,  Uncle  John,  I  am  sure  you  do  not  need 
to  fear  anything  of  the  kind,"  Josephine  eagerly  in- 
terposed. "  I  know  Louis  Arnold  well  enough  to 
feel  certain  that  you  would  receive  only  kindness 
and  consideration  from  him.  He  does  not  believe 
in  resentment  or  retaliation;  his  religion  forbids  it, 
and  I  know  that  you — we — will  never  know  another 
happy  day  until  this  wrong  is  made  right." 

The  man  turned  a  wondering  look  upon  her. 
She  had  said  "  we,"  as  if  she  held  herself  responsible 


3H  STEP  BY  STEP 

with  him,  and  meant  to  share  whatever  came  to 
him,  to  the  bitter  end;  and  this  voluntary  clinging 
to  him,  in  spite  of  everything,  did  more  toward 
breaking  him  down  than  anything  that  had  yet 
occurred. 

"  I  see  where  you  stand,"  he  said  dejectedly,  "  and 
I  may  as  well  admit  the  truth.  I  am  that  deserter 
who  sought  refuge  with  John  Sherburne's  widow. 
My  regiment  had  been  ordered  abroad  on  a  very 
perilous  campaign.  Some  of  our  officers  were  brutal 
men,  who  made  the  lives  of  those  under  them  a  bur- 
den; while  my  captain — I  was  an  orderly — held  a 
bitter  grudge  against  me,  and  I  vowed  that  I  would 
not  serve  under  him.  I  made  my  escape  just  as 
we  were  on  the  point  of  sailing.  I  had  saved  con- 
siderable money,  over  and  above1  a  windfall  of  a 
couple  of  thousand  pounds  from  my  mother,  who 
had  died  a  few  months  previous,  and  most  of  this 
I  paid  for  John  Sherburne's  discharge.  I  imme- 
diately came  to  this  country;  but  a  few  years  later  I 
saw  in  a  New  York  paper  an  inquiry  for  the  nearest 
of  kin  to  James  Wilton  Sherburne,  second  son  of 
the  late  John  Sherburne  of  — shire,  England,  and 
the  devil  suggested  that  I  make  a  try  for  whatever 
property  he  had  left.  I  succeeded  in  my  scheme, 
without  a  hitch,  and  immediately  returned  to  the 
United  States,  for  naturally  I  felt  safer  here  than 
in  England.  Very  soon  afterwards  I  met  your  aunt 
Madeline  and  married  her,  and — you  know  the 
rest.  With  money  at  my  command,  I  at  once  began 
to  make  more.  I  knew  I  was  flourishing  OH  what 


STEP  BY   STEP  315 

did  not  really  belong  to  me,  and  sometimes  uncom- 
fortable thoughts  of  that  widow  and  her  daughter 
would  force  themselves  upon  me,  and  I  used  to 
tell  myself  that  if  I  could  find  them  I  would  do 
something  handsome  for  them  if  they  were  in  need. 
I  supposed  they  were  still  living  somewhere  in 
England;  but  about  ten  or  eleven  years  ago  I  ran 
across  Louis  Arnold,  ragged  and  barefooted,  at  a 
county  fair  in  New  Hampshire " 

"How  strange!"  murmured  Josephine  in  sur- 
prise. 

"  Strange !  it  was  fate — relentless  fate !  "  returned 
her  companion  dejectedly,  then  resumed:  "I  knew 
at  once  that  the  boy  was  a  Sherburne,  for  he  was 
the  image  of  his  mother  at  the  same  age;  and  her 
pathetic  face  and  great  dark  eyes  had  often  haunted 
me.  Your  aunt  and  I  had  been  up  in  the  mountains 
for  a  few  weeks.  We  were  on  our  way  to  make 
your  folks  a  visit,  before  coming  home  to  Chicago, 
and  we  stopped  off  to  see  the  racing  at  the  fair. 
I  was  so  upset  the  moment  I  saw  the  little  tramp, 
I  sought  him  out  and  questioned  him  about  his 
family.  He  corroborated  my  suspicions  regarding 
his  identity,  by  telling  me  that  his  mother  was  born 
in  England  and  that  her  maiden  name  was  Annie 
Judkins." 

Mr.  Sherburne  then  related  how  his  wife  had 
found  the  photographs  Louis  had  lost;  how,  later, 
Miss  Wellington  had  discovered  them  while  clean- 
ing the  library,  and  of  his  recent  interview  with 
Joe  Dawson. 


316  STEP   BY    STEP 

"  Well,  I  suppose  it  was  to  be  my  fate  and  I  have 
got  to  face  it,"  he  grimly  observed  in  conclusion. 

Josephine  leaned  forward  and  smiled  into  his  eyes. 

"  Miss  Wellington  would  tell  you  that  it  was 
truth,  mercy,  and  justice  leading  you,  step  by  step, 
to  your  salvation,"  she  said  softly. 

"  Salvation?  No,  to  shame,  humiliation  and  ruin 
would  be  more  to  the  point,"  he  groaned.  "  Do  you 
realize,  child,  what  it  would  mean  for  me  to  right. 
this  wrong,  as  you  put  it,  just  from  a  financial  stand- 
point alone? " 

"  I  do  not  know,  Uncle  John,  what  your  fortune 
amounts  to,  but  I  have  made  a  rough  estimate  of 
legal  interest  on  twenty  thousand  pounds  for  thirty- 
five  years  and  it  almost  took  my  breath  away,"  Jo- 
sephine gravely  returned. 

"  And  well  it  might ;  for  it  would  make  beggars 
of  us  both,"  he1  curtly  retorted. 

"  Of  course  the  loss  of  this  money  would  seem 
harder  to  you  than  to  me,  for  you  have  accumulated 
most  of  It  yourself,"  said  Josephine  thoughtfully. 
"  But  you  still  have  your  talent  for  business,  and  if 
I  can  get  a  school  we  will  make  a  little  home  for 
ourselves  somewhere,  and  I  am  sure  we  will  be  very 
comfortable." 

The  man  studied  her  fine  face  for  a  moment,  an 
intensely  yearning  expression  in  his  eyes. 

"  Then  you  wouldn't  utterly  repudiate  your  old 
uncle,  after  learning  how  deeply  dyed "  he  be- 
gan; but  Josephine  would  not  allow  him  to  go  on. 
She  gently  laid  the  tips  of  her  fingers  upon  his  lips 
to  check  him. 


STEP   BY   STEP  317 

"  What  am  I  that  I  should  judge  you  ?  "  she  ques- 
tioned sadly.  "  That  was  why  I  told  you  of  my 
high  school  experience.  You  have  been  tempted  in 
one  way,  I  in  another,  and  we  both  have  fallen; 
though,  to  me,  it  seems  worse  to  rob  a  person  of  her 
reputation  than  to  take  money  that  belongs  to 
another." 

Her  listener  groaned  again  as  he  saw  how  she  was 
trying  to  lighten  his  burden  by  criminating  herself. 

"  But  we  need  not  fall  again,"  she  went  on,  in  a 
brighter  tone.  "  Another  temptation  has  come  to  us, 
and  we  are  not  going  to  yield  to  it;  we  are  going  to 
do  as  nearly  right  as  we  can,  and  so  atone,  in  some 
measure  at  least,  for  the  past." 

"  And  if  I  will  not  ?  "  he  questioned  as  she  paused. 

"  Then — forgive  me,  TJncle  John,  if  I  say  some- 
thing that  may  sound  hard  and  ungrateful  after  all 
your  kindness  to  me ;  but  I — you — we ' 

"  Yes,  I  understand,"  he  supplemented  as  she  fal- 
tered and  her  voice  failed  utterly.  "  We  could  not 
preserve  our  present  relations.  You  would  not  re- 
main with  me  to  share  vhat  seems  to  you  my  ill- 
gotten  wealth." 

His  tone  was  exceedingly  bitter  from  his  own  men- 
tal anguish.  What  had  hurt  and  humiliated  him 
most  was  the  fact  that  Josephine  had  felt  it  neces- 
sary to  abase  herself  to  his  level,  revealing  the  con- 
flict between  good  and  evil  in  her  own  consciousness, 
even  to  the  extent  of  unveiling  the  most  sacred  re- 
cesses of  her  lacerated  heart. 

The  girl  realized  that  he  was  suffering  keenly;  so, 


318  STEP  BY  STEP 

I 

without  replying  directly  to  what  he  had  said,  she 
slipped  her  hands  over  his  arm,  closely  interlacing 
her  fingers  around  it,  and,  leaning  her  fair  head 
against  his  shoulder,  pleaded: 

"  You  will  right  this  wrong,  you  will  begin  over 
again,  and  I  shall  never  leave  you.  We  are  both 
strong  and  well,  and  I  am  not  afraid  or  ashamed  to 
work ;  and  if  we  have  each  other  and  love  each  other 
we  can  be  happy  together.  Oh,  you  will  make  this 
a  voluntary  restitution,  will  you  not  ?  "  she  went  on, 
her  voice  quivering  with  the  intensity  of  her  desire. 
"  Then  there  need  be  no  publicity  about  it.  Only 
we  four  people  would  ever  know  anything  about  it; 
and  that  would  be  so  much  better  than — compulsory 
reparation." 

"  Josephine !  Would  you  make  it  compulsory  ?  " 
questioned  the  man  in  a  startled  tone. 

The  girl  suddenly  arose  to  her  feet,  catching  her 
breath  sharply,  and  stood  before  him  with  uplifted 
face  and  clasped  hands. 

"  Oh,  don't — don't  make  this  too  hard  for  me, 
Uncle  John,"  she  almost  sobbed.  "  But  I  could  not 
bear  to  live  and  keep  such  a  secret." 

John  Sherburpe  also  leaped  to  his  feet,  put  out 
his  arms  and  drew  her  into  them,  his  features  work- 
ing convulsively. 

"  I  will  not  ask  you  to  keep  it,  Josephine,"  he  said 
brokenly.  "  You  have  conquered.  You  shall  have 
your  way,  and  I  will  do  the  best  I  can — even  to  the 
last  farthing — to  make  restitution.  Xow,  dear, 
neither  of  us  can  bear  any  more  to-night  Go  to 


STEP  BY  STEP  319 

your  room  and  rest,  and  let  me  think ;  then  to-morrow 
we  will  make  a  beginning  in  the  right  direction." 

He  led  her  to  the  door  and  opened  it  for  her  to 
pass  out;  but  she  clung  to  him  for  a  moment  as  if 
loth  to  leave  him.  Then,  lifting  her  shining  eyes  to 
his,  she  murmured:  "  Thank  you,  Uncle  John."  It 
was  all  she  could  say,  but  leaning  toward  him  she 
touched  her  lips  to  his  in  a  light  caress,  and  was  gone, 
leaving  him  with  the  feeling  as  of  one  who  has  re 
ceived  a  heavenly  benediction. 


320  STEP  BY   STEP 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

JOHN  SHEEBUKNE  spent  the  night  in  his  library 
looking  over  and  filing  numerous  papers,  exam- 
ining accounts,  and  computing  interest. 

Morning  found  him  pale  and  worn ;  but  there  w;is 
a  restful  look  in  his  eyes,  and  he  had  a  composure 
of  manner  that  bespoke  an  easier  conscience  than  he 
had  known  for  many  a  long  day. 

Josephine  slept  like  a  baby  the  whole  night 
through,  and  cime  down  to  breakfast  feeling  both 
strengthened  and  refreshed.  She  still  showed  traces 
of  her  recent  trying  experiences,  but  the  expression 
of  suffering  and  anxiety  had  faded  from  her  face, 
and  she  appeared  more  like  herself  than  she  had  done 
since  Christmas. 

Before  Mr.  Sherburne  left  for  his  office  he  drew 
Josephine  aside  to  say  that  he  would  like  her  to  tell 
Miss  Wellington  what  she  had  discovered  and  the 
result  of  their  conversation  the  previous  evening,  and 
ask  her  to  inform  Louis  regarding  the  matter  and 
have  him  appoint  an  early  interview. 

Accordingly,  Josephine  sought  Miss  Wellington  as 
soon  as  she  returned  to  her  rooms  after  she  had  given 
her  orders  for  the  day. 

"  I  have  come  to  ask,  Miss  Wellington,  if  you  still 
have  that  box  of  old  letters  you  were  looking  over 


STEP  BY   STEP  321 

the  other  day  ? "  she  inquired,  coming  to  the  point 
at  once. 

"  Yes,  dear ;  Louis  has  not  been  here  since  to  ascer- 
tain the  result  of  my  examination,  which  did  not 
amount  to  much,  after  all,"  the  lady  replied,  although 
she  felt  a  trifle  surprised  that  Josephine  should  refer 
to  the  matter  again. 

"  I  am  glad,"  Josephine  quietly  returned.  "  And 
would  you  mind  getting  out  that  old  leather  case 
again  ?  I  have  something  important  I  would  like  to 
tell  you  about  it." 

Miss  Wellington  looked  rather  mystified  at  this 
request,  but,  making  no  comment,  she  went  to  her 
closet,  brought  forth  the  box  and  set  it  upon  her  work- 
table,  where,  removing  the  cover,  she  found  the  case 
and  passed  it  to  Josephine. 

But  the  girl  did  not  offer  to  take  it.  She  simply 
said: 

"  Please  open  it  and  look  between  the  leather  and 
the  oil-silk  lining,  where  the  case  folds  together." 

Miss  Wellington  obeyed,  found  the  slit  in  the  lin- 
ing, and,  with  a  face  expressive  of  mingled  emotions, 
drew  forth  the  folded  paper  that  had  been  hidden 
there  for  so  many  years. 

With  trembling  fingers,  for  she  was  strangely  im- 
pressed by  Josephine's  manner,  she  began  to  unfold 
it,  when  the  girl  interposed,  saying: 

"  Before  you  read  it,  I  want  to  tell  you  that  the 
other  day,  after  you  went  downstairs,  I  felt  a  curi- 
osity to  examine  the  case  again ;  and,  while  doing  so, 
I  found  that  paper.  Without  stopping  to  think  that 


322  STEP  BY   STEP 

I  was  prying  into  other  people's  secrets,  I  opened  it. 
Perplexed  and  startled  by  the  names  at  the  top  of  the 
sheet,  I  read  on  until  I  learned  the  whole  story. 
Read  it  now  yourself,  dear  Miss  Wellington,  and 
then  I  have  more  to  tell  you." 

The  woman,  a  sense  of  weakness  coming  over  her, 
sank  into  her  chair  and  obeyed,  her  face  betraying 
her  amazement  and  other  conflicting  emotions  as  she 
mastered  the  contents  of  the  sheet. 

"  This  is  wonderful !  "  she  said,  as  she  finished 
it.  "  And  it  is  also  very  perplexing.  I  cannot 
fathom  it" 

She  was  thinking  of  John  Sherburne,  of  the  photo- 
graphs which  she  had  found  in  his  library — how  he 
had  claimed  them  as  family  pictures;  how  she  had 
afterwards  rescued  them  from  the  rubbish ;  and  later 
Louis  had  declared  that  they  were  some  he  had  lost ; 
and  the  more  she  thought  the  deeper  the  mystery 
grew. 

"  That  is  what  I  am  going  to  explain,"  said  Jo- 
sephine, coming  to  the  rescue;  and  then  she  related 
the  whole  story,  as  we  have  already  learned  it,  but 
leaving  out,  of  course,  what  she  had  revealed  to 
Mr.  Sherburne  regarding  her  former  enmity  toward 
Margaret  and  her  unfortunate  attachment  for 
Louis. 

She  told  it  clearly,  simply,  truthfully ;  and,  while 
she  did  not  attempt  to  excuse  or  shield  her  guardian 
for  the  great  wrong  he  had  done,  she  charitably 
avoided  all  condemnation,  giving  him  what  credit 
she  could  for  now  being  willing  to  do  his 


STEP  BY   STEP  323 

toward  reparation,  and  made  her  own  agency  in  the 
matter  as  inconspicuous  as  possible. 

But  Miss  Wellington,  being  a  good  judge  of  human 
nature,  had  read  the  man  well.  While  she  knew 
that  he  possessed  some  good  qualities,  she  believed 
there  was  a  lack  of  principle  in  his  make-up  that 
often  led  him  to  do  many  reprehensible  things.  She 
knew  he  was  ambitious,  grasping,  and  extremely  stub- 
born, and  she  realized  that  it  had  been  no  light  task 
for  this  girl  to  boldly  face  him,  reveal  her  knowledge 
of  his  crime,  and  persuade  him  to  make  restitution, 
when  such  amends  could  not  fail  to  mean  the  giving 
up  of  a  large  part,  if  not  the  whole,  of  what  he  pos- 
sessed, besides  laying  himself  liable  for  crime.  When 
Josephine  concluded  Miss  Wellington  laid  a  tender 
hand  upon  the  girl's  shoulder. 

"  My  dear,  what  a  miracle  is  this  that  you  have 
wrought !  "  she  said,  a  solemn  sweetness  in  her  tones. 
"  The  restoration  of  this  money  is  but  a  small  part 
of  it — you  have  been  John  Sherburne's  salvation, 
for  I  believe  he  will  be  a  different  man  after  this — 
that  this  will  be  the  beginning  of  his  real  life.  For 
your  own  part,  you  have  manifested  a  spirit  of  self- 
abnegation  that  is  beautiful;  for,  by  insisting  upon 
the  restoration  of  Louis'  heritage,  you  have  nobly 
obeyed  the  golden  rule  of  love — even  to  the  extent  of 
impoverishing  yourself — and  love,  you  know,  is  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law." 

In  her  heart  the  woman  knew  that  Josephine  had 
sacrificed  far  more  than  a  fortune  in  what  she  had 
done ;  but  that  was  a  matter  she  did  not  feel  at  liberty 


324  STEP   BY   STEP 

to  touch  upon,  though  she  longed  to  whisper  a  word 
of  comfort  in  her  ears. 

As  Miss  Wellington  concluded,  Josephine  slid  from 
her  chair  to  her  knees  and  wound  her  arms  around 
the  woman's  waist. 

"  Dear  Miss  Wellington,"  she  said,  "  you  have 
helped  me  to  do  this.  You  have  been  my  inspira- 
tion for  good  ever  since  I  came  here.  You  are  so 
absolute  in  your  ideas  of  right  and  wrong.  Mar- 
garet and  Louis  were  my  models  when  we  were  in 
school  together;  somehow  they  seemed  to  be  gov- 
erned by  a  stronger  regard  for  principle  than  most 
people,  and  since  I  have  been  here  with  you  I  have 
begun  to  realize  more  what  that  principle  is.  You 
never  will  strain  a  point  or  countenance  the  slightest 
deviation  from  right;  but  you  are  so  gentle  and  lov- 
ing, so  sweet  about  it  no  one  can  take  offence.  All 
this  has  made  me  feel  more  and  more  that  life  is 
only  worth  living  as  it  is  rightly  lived.  But  it 
was  not  easy  for  me  to  take  this  stand — either  for 
myself  or  for  Uncle  John.  Oh,  I  have  never  wanted 
my  mother  so  much  as  during  the  last  few  weeks !  " 
she  concluded  with  a  yearning  sigh,  as  she  dropped 
her  head  upon  Miss  Wellington's  breast  to  conceal 
her  brimming  eyes. 

The  woman  gathered  her  close  to  her,  a  great 
wave  of  tenderness  surging  over  her  heart. 

"My  dear,"  she  said  softly,  "just  let  yourself 
rest  in  the  motherhood  of  God  and  be  comforted." 

"  The  motherhood  of  God,"  repeated  Josephine 
looking  up  with  wide,  wondering  eyes. 


STEP  BY   STEP  325; 

"  Have  you  never  thought  of  that  before?  "  ques- 
tioned the  elder  woman,  with  a  luminous  smile. 
"  As  a  rule,  people  have  regarded  God  as  a  father, 
ascribing  to  Him  the  strong  attributes  of  authority, 
guidance  and  protection;  but  if  He  is  all,  then  He 
must  include  within  Himself  the  gentleness,  love  and 
tenderness  of  a  mother." 

"The  motherhood  of  God!"  said  Josephine 
again,  lingering  over  the  words.  "  It  is  a  beautiful 
thought;  and,  I  am  sure,  even  though  you  have 
never  been  a  mother  yourself,  you  must  have  a  great 
deal  of  that  element  stored  away  in  your  heart,  for 
you  are  so  tender,  loving  and  sympathetic  toward 
others,  you  make  everybody  love  you.  I  wonder,"  a 
eudden  rush  of  tears  again  suffusing  her  eyes,  "  if 
you  will  let  me  call  you  Aunt  Martha? " 

"  Why,  yes,  dear  heart,  if  it  will  be  any  comfort 
to  you;  and  I  am  sure  it  will  be  very  pleasant  to 
me  to  hear  the  familiar  name  from  you.  I  have 
been  Aunt  Martha  to  quite  a  number  of  young  peo- 
ple in  my  day,"  Miss  Wellington  concluded  with  a 
bright  little  laugh  as  she  dropped  a  soft  kiss  on  the 
girl's  lips  to  seal  the  compact. 

"  And  now,"  she  resumed  in  a  more  matter-of- 
fact  tone,  I  think  we  might  as  well  have  Louis  here 
as  soon  as  possible  and  get  this  matter  straightened 
out.  I  believe  I  will  write  him  to  call  to-morrow 
evening." 

"  I  wish  you  would,  Miss — Aunt  Martha,"  Jose- 
phine corrected  herself  with  an  arch  smile.  "  I  shall 
be  very  glad  when  it  is  all  over." 


326  STEP  BY   STEP 

A  little  later  Miss  Wellington  sent  a  message  to 
Louis  saying  she  had  something  of  importance  to 
communicate  to  him,  and  asking  him  to  bring  the 
photographs  which  she  had  recently  given  him,  and 
to  come  if  possible  on  the  following  evening. 

He  made  his  appearance  at  an  early  hour,  where- 
upon Miss  Wellington  gave  him  a  detailed  account 
of  what  Josephine  had  disclosed,  and  showed  him 
the  record  and  statement  which  had  so  long  beea 
concealed  in  the  old  leather  case. 

Louis  was  of  course  greatly  surprised,  and  said 
he  could  now  understand  why  the  photograph  of 
the  English  soldier  had  been  preserved  with  those 
of  the  other  members  of  his  family — a  circumstance 
which  had  been  a  great  puzzle  to  him  ever  since  it 
had  come  to  light. 

After  talking  the  matter  over  at  length  with  Miss 
Wellington,  Louis  said  he  was  ready  to  meet  Mr. 
Sherburne,  and  a  maid  was  sent  to  tell  that  gentle- 
man that  Mr.  Arnold  had  called  to  see  him. 

Mr.  Sherburne  came  directly  to  the  drawing-room 
and  greeted  the  young  man  with  grave  courtesy, 
then  invited  him  to  accompany  him  to  his  library. 

Here,  requesting  his  guest  to  be  seated,  he  at  once 
broached  the  all-important  subject  which  they  had 
met  to  discuss  and  briefly  reviewed  the  whole  situa- 
tion. 

Louis  regarded  the  man  with  surprise  as  he 
talked,  for  he  seemed  greatly  altered.  The  some- 
what pompous,  consequential  air  which,  hitherto,  had 
been  habitual  to  him,  had  altogether  disappeared; 


STEP  BY   STEP  327 

and,  while  there  was  nothing  cringing  or  surly  in  his 
manner,  there  was  a  settled  gravity,  a  straightfor- 
ward grappling  with  the  business  in  hand  which 
betrayed  a  radical  change  in  him.  He  did  not  spare 
himself,  but  frankly  confessed  everything  connected 
with  his  desertion  from  the  army  and  his  subsequent 
career,  in  so  far  as  it  related  to  his  dealings  with 
the  Sherburne  family. 

He  told  him  how,  after  meeting  him  at  the  county 
fair,  he  had  been  haunted  by  the  fear  that  he  might 
some  day  be  overtaken  by  retribution.  This  fear 
had  grown  upon  him  after  the  young  man  came  to 
Chicago  to  live,  and,  actuated  by  two  motives,  he 
had  at  once  made  a  place  in  his  office  for  him.  One 
of  these  motives  was  to  salve  his  conscience  by  put- 
ting Louis  in  the  way  of  making  money;  the  other 
was  to  get  him  so  involved  in  his  own  shady  methods 
that,  in  case  he  ever  did  discover  the  truth,  he 
would  be  so  completely  at  his  mercy  that  he  would 
never  dare  to  turn  upon  him  and  demand  restitu- 
tion. 

He  related  how  terrified  he  had  been  up'oi 
countering  Joe  Dawson;  how  he  had  immediately 
adopted  Josephine  and  settled  his  property  upon  her, 
hoping  thus  to  secure — beyond    the   possibility    of 
loss — a  future  of  affluence  to  himself  and  her. 

Money  had  been  his  god,  he  said,  and  he  probably 
would  never  have  parted  with  any  portion  of  his  for- 
tune, to  right  this  wrong,  but  for  the  discovery  Jo- 
sephine had  made  and  the  relentless  stand  she  had 
taken. 


328  STEP  BY   STEP 

"  It  would  have  been  far  better  for  my  peace  of 
mind  if  I  had  voluntarily  done  the  square  thing  by 
you  ten  years  ago,  when  I  first  discovered  your 
identity,"  he  remarked  in  conclusion.  "  It  would 
have  saved  me  the  humiliation  of  being  found  out 
and  compelled  to  do  my  duty  by  the  girl  I  love  as  an 
own  daughter.  However,  when  it  came  to  the  alter- 
native of  choosing  between  the  two,  I  found  that 
I  could  better  bear  to  part  with  the  money  than  with 
Josephine.  I  can  never  tell  you  what  it  means  to  me 
to  know  that  she  loves  me  well  enough  to  stick  to 
me  in  misfortune,  and  that  there  was  something 
in  me — bad  as  I  am — that  responded  to  the  good 
in  her.  Now  " — straightening  himself  with  a  jerk 
and  reaching  for  a  paper  that  lay  on  his  desk — 
"  we  will  get  down  to  business.  After  that  is 
settled,  I  am  at  your  mercy,  and  you  can  take 
what  legal  proceedings  the  case  may  seem  to  de- 
mand. I  came  into  possession  of  those  twenty  thou- 
sand pounds  in  18 — ,  and  I  have  computed  the  in- 
terest to  date  at  the  rate  the  banks  are  paying  to- 
day. Look  these  figures  over,  if  you  please,  Ar- 
nold, and  see  if  they  are  right." 

Louis  took  the  paper,  but  merely  glanced  at  the 
last  figures  on  the  page.  lie  knew  that  the  broker's 
estimate  must  be  correct.  He  sat  quietly  think- 
ing for  a  few  moments,  then  passed  the  sheet  back 
to  his  companion. 

"  It  is  a  big  sum,  Arnold,"  said  John  Sherburno 
with  dry  lips,  while  he  curiously  searched  the  young 
man's  serious  face.  "  When  such  an  amount  gets 


STEP   BY   STEP  329 

to  compounding,  it  rolls  up  fast;  and  Louis — I 
haven't  enough  to  meet  it.  I  can't  meet  it  within 
thousands  of  dollars.  Now  what  have  you  to  say 
about  it  ? " 

"  Mr.  Sherburne,  you  do  not  need  to  meet  it," 
Louis  quietly  returned.  "  You  may  simply  turn 
over  the  principal  to  me,  and  we  will  regard  the 
account  as  settled;  moreover,  I  shall  institute  no. 
legal  proceedings  against  you." 

"  What  is  this  ? "  almost  gasped  the  broker  in 
amazement.  "  You  will  not  demand  any  interest 
for  the  use  of  this  money  for  all  those  years  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  Arnold.  Who  ever 
heard  of  any  one  refusing  a  fortune  like  that? 
Why,  the  principal  has  repeated  itself  many 
times  ?  " 

"  I  know  that ;  but— 

"  Is  this  Quixotic  idea  supposed  to  be — coals  of    • 
fire  ?  "  sharply  demanded  Mr.  Sherburne,  and  grow- 
ing suddenly  crimson  under  the  thought. 

"  No,  Mr.  Sherburne,  such  an  attitude  had  not 
suggested  itself  to  me,"  said  Louis  gravely.  "  It 
would  be  no  satisfaction  whatever  to  me  to  bring 
the  law  to  bear  upon  you,  either  for  your  desertion 
from  the  English  army,  or  for  appropriating  the 
fortune  left  by  James  Wilton  Sherburne.  To  me 
that  would  seem  like  an  unworthy  act  of  retaliation, 
of  which  I  would  not  be  guilty  after  you  had  volun- 
tarily sought  to  make  amends  to  the  extent  of  your 
ability  to  do  so.  Regarding  this  interest  as  you 


330  STEP  BY   STEP 


computed  it  —  I  simply  prefer  not  to  have  it; 
that  is  all." 

John  Sherburne  studied  the  young  man  in  deep 
perplexity.  The  stand  Louis  had  taken  was  beyond 
liis  comprehension. 

"  I  swear,"  he  at  length  burst  forth,  "  I  don't 
understand  you.  I  appreciate  your  leniency  in  re- 
fusing to  take  any  public  action  against  me,  but  I 
imagine  that  is  more  on  Josephine's  account  than 
my  own;  all  the  same,  I  am  grateful  to  you  for  the 
consideration.  But  about  this  money,  it  is  rather 
tough  on  a  man  when  he  is  ready  to  do  the  riirln 
thing  that  he  can't  be  allowed  the  privilege." 

Louis  grew  uneasy  at  this  point,  changed  his  posi- 
tion, crossed  and  recrossed  his  legs  and  seemed  gen- 
erally uncomfortable. 

"  Please  let  us  leave  it  just  here,"  he  began, 
wli'-n  his  companion  suddenly  exclaimed: 

"  Aha  !  perhaps  it  is  because  you  may  regard  it 
as  tainted  money,"  and  Louis'  cou.-cim;-  flush  told 
John  Sherburne  that  he  had  fathomed  his  motive. 

"  Well,  it  is  tainted.  I  can't  deny  it,"  he  hoarsely 
exclaimed.  "  But  it  is  all  I  have  —  it  is  all  I  can 
offer  you." 

"  Then  let  the  matter  rest  as  I  have  said,  Mr. 
Sherburne,"  Louis  responded  in  a  friendly  voice. 
"I  am  satisfied  with  the  principal;  more  than  that. 
I  cannot  take.  It  is  a  handsome  windfall,  and  all 
that  I  feel  rightly  belongs  to  me;  while  —  if  you 
will  allow  me  to  make  the  suggestion  —  if  what  re- 
mains will  enable  you  to  give  others  a  helping  hand 
in  the  same  way,  I  should  much  prefer  such  a  dis- 


STEP  BY   STEP  331 

position  to  be  made  of  it.  There  is  E.  A.  Kollins, 
for  instance,  who  put  five  years'  savings — all  he 
had — into  that  mine  and  lost  it." 

"  I  will — I  will,"  Mr.  Sherburne  assented  with  a 
gesture  which  showed  that  he  was  deeply  moved. 
"  That  was  too  bad  about  Eollins.  I  felt  it  at  the 
time.  And,  Louis  Arnold,"  he  went  on  huskily, 
"you  are  a  clean,  true-hearted  fellow  if  there  ever 
was  one ;  you  are  surely  trying  to  live  up  to  what 
that  wonderful  woman,  Martha  Wellington,  has 
taught  you — you  have  shown  to-night  that  you  love 
your  neighbor  as  yourself,  and  she  has  a  right  to 
be  proud  of  her  '  boy.'  I  can't  stand  any  more  to- 
night," he  added,  rising,  his  face  an  ashen  gray, 
"  but  I  will  attend  to  this  business  at  once  and  will 
deposit  the  amount  you  have  named  to  your  credit 
in  the  First  National  Bank  within  a  few  days.  I 
thank  you  for  your  suggestion,  and,  in  so  far  as  I 
am  able,  I  will  do  as  you  wish.  Good-night,  Arnold, 
and  some  time  I  hope  you  will  allow  John  Sher- 
burne— if  you  do  not  object  I  will  retain  the  name, 
as  it  would  be  awkward  to  change  it — to  call  you 
his  friend." 

Louis  also  arose  and  frankly  extended  his  hand. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  regard  you  as  my  friend  from 
this  hour,  Mr.  Sherburne,"  he  cordially  returned. 
"  And  if  there  should  ever  come  a  time  when  I  can 
serve  you,  I  hope  you  will  command  me.  Good- 
night." 

The  two  men  shook  hands  and  parted,  when  Louis 
again  sought  Miss  Wellington  to  tell  her  the  result 
of  the  important  interview. 


332  STEP  BY  STEP 

Miss  Wellington  was  almost  overcome  upon  learn- 
ing of  the  stand  which  Louis  had  taken  regarding  his 
patrimony  and  his  suggestion  as  to  the  disposal  of 
the  accrued  interest. 

"  You  have  done  a  beautiful  and  noble  thing,  dear 
boy,"  she  said,  with  tremulous  lips — "  a  deed  that 
will  live  and  bear  much  fruit.  As  I  look  back  and 
see  how,  step  by  step,  you  have  advanced  from  a 
good  and  obedient  child  to  a  cultured,  high-minded 
man,  my  heart  is  filled  with  joy,  and  I  ki^ow  as  you 
go  on  the  world  will  become  a  better  place  because 
you  have  lived  in  it." 

"  But,  Aunt  Martha,  it  is  you  who  have  led  me, 
step  by  step;  and  whatever  unfolding  of  good  there 
has  beeft  in  my  life  I  owe  chiefly  to  you  and  what 
you  have  taught  me,"  Louis  returned.  "  I  know  that 
I  am  deeply  indebted  to  the  Westons  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Richards,  but  your  influence  during  those  ear- 
lier years,  and  your  faithful  guidance  along  the  way, 
even  when  we  were  separated,  have  done  more  toward 
moulding  my  character  than  anything  else."  And  he 
sealed  his  loving  tribute  to  her  by  lifting  the  hand 
he  was  holding  and  laying  it  reverently  against  his 
lips. 

Our  story  is  nearly  told.  John  Sherburne  had 
over  been  alert  and  energetic  in  working  for  his  own 
interests,  and  now,  having  resolved  to  do  right,  he 
proved  himself  no  less  active  in  trying  to  atone  for 
his  misdeeds.  Instead  of  being  crushed  by  what  h;i<l 
occurred,  he  appeared,  after  the  first  shock  h;id 
passed,  to  rise  above  it  to  a  new  sense  of  manhood. 


STEP  BY   STEP  333 

This  was  specially  manifest  after  a  long  and  con- 
fidential chat  which  he  sought  with  Miss  Wellington. 

"  You  do  not  need  to  use  too  much  sackcloth  and 
ashes,  my  friend,"  she  had  said,  in  response  to  some 
of  his  expressions  of  self-condemnation.  "  It  is  only 
a  waste  of  time  and  energy  to  wallow  in  the  slough 
of  despond.  You  have  seen  your  errors,  you  have 
repented  of  them.  Now  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  let 
that  repentance  bring  forth  results  and — rejoice." 

"  Rejoice !  "  repeated  her  listener  in  a  doubtful 
tone. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  she  queried,  with  a  cheery  smile. 
"  When  evil  has  been  cast  out  of  us  have  we  not  cause 
for  rejoicing  ?  Instead  of  getting  rid  of  our  sins  and 
their  results,  we  are  only  clinging  to  them  when  we 
grieve  over  them  continually.  When  our  Master  cast 
evil  out  of  anyone  He  said :  '  Go  and  sin  no  more  J 
— that  is,  '  Go  on,  leave  your  mistakes  behind  you, 
take  up  the  duties  before  you ;  but  be  careful  not  to 
repeat  the  wrong.'  Now,  I'm  going  to  quote  Scrip- 
ture again,"  she  interpolated,  with  a  little  laugh: 
"  '  The  people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a 
great  light'  This  light  has  come  to  you,  Mr.  Sher- 
burne,  and  you  should  rejoice  and  be  glad,  instead 
of  wasting  time  by  looking  back  and  mourning  over 
tho  darkness.  Make  use  of  the  light  you  have  re- 
ceived and  go  up  higher." 

This  practical  talk  did  the  man  great  good,  and  he 
immediately  went  about  his  business  with  a  lighter 
heart.  It  took  time  to  straighten  his  affairs,  but 
in  a  few  weeks  Louis'  patrimony  was  set  aside  for 
him,  as  promised;  and  as  time  went  on  matters  of 


334  STEP  BY  STEP 

a  similar  nature  were  adjusted  for  others  in  so  far 
as  Mr.  Sherburne  was  able  to  make  them  right. 

By  the  end  of  six  months,  although  nearly  bereft 
of  his  once  ample  fortune,  he  found  himself  fairly 
started  again  in  a  way  to  make  an  honest  living; 
while  Josephine  was  installed  as  mistress  of  a 
prettily  furnished  apartment  with  a  competent  maid- 
of-all-work  as  her  only  assistant.  She  had  almost 
carried  her  point  to  become  a  teacher,  but  finding 
that  Mr.  Sherburne  was  going  to  be  really  miserable 
under  such  an  arrangement,  she  finally  yielded,  and 
gradually  found  she  was  growing  happy  and  light- 
hearted  again  in  devoting  herself  to  him. 

Miss  Wellington  remained  with  them  until  they 
were  settled;  then,  after  a  visit  to  her  Colorado 
relatives  and  a  trip  to  her  old  home  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, she  went  to  Louis,  who  needed  her  assistance 
in  preparing  a  home  for  himself  and  the  bride  he 
expected  to  bring  to  it  in  the  near  future. 

Louis  had  made  himself  so  useful  to  his  employer 
and  so  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  lumber  bus- 
iness, which  he  grew  to  like  more  and  more,  that 
Mr.  Buskirk  had  proposed  that,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  following  year,  they  cast  in  their  lot  together 
and  become  equal  partners.  Thus,  as  his  proposals 
were  generous  and  the  busines  in  a  flourishing  con- 
dition, Louis'  future  was  opening  out  most  auspi- 
ciously before  him. 

Meantime  Mrs.  Lawrence  and  her  son  had  come 
West  and  were  living  in  one  of  the  suburbs  of 
Chicago,  Ted  going  to  and  from  his  office  every  day. 
Margaret  followed  them  late  in  June,  upon  com- 


STEP   BY   STEP  33$ 

pleting  her  year  as  teacher  in  Smith  College,  and 
with  the  expectation  of  going  to  her  own  home  in 
October. 

Margaret,  upon  learning  of  Josephine's  agency  in 
righting  the  wrong  against  Louis,  felt  that  there 
would  henceforth  be  a  stronger  bond  than  ever  be- 
tween them,  and  this  was  abundantly  proven  by 
their  never-changing  friendship  which  was  a  life- 
long joy  to  them. 

Aliout  a  month  after  Margaret's  arrival  in  Chi- 
cago a  letter  was  received  from  Nellie  Evarts  con- 
taining the  not  unexpected  announcement  of  her  en- 
gagement to  Charlie  Osgood,  who  had  joined  the 
Evarts  party  in  Switzerland  early  in  June.  They 
would  all  return  late  in  September,  she  wrote,  and 
were  looking  forward  to  a  delightful  reunion  at 
Margaret's  wedding  in  October. 

A  couple  of  years  after  the  marriage  of  Margaret 
and  Louis,  Ted,  who — ever  since  Nellie  Evarts'  class 
reception  five  years  previous — had  secretly  cher- 
ished a  fond  hope  in  connection  with  Josephine,  per- 
suaded her  that  life  still  held  much  in  «rtore  for  her, 
pleading  in  the  words  of  Browning: 

"Behold  me!     I  am  worthy 
Of  thy  loving,  for  I  love  thee." 

Benjamin  Weston  and  his  good  wife  found,  as 
time  went  on,  that  life  in  the  city  during  the  winter 
was,  on  the  whole,  quite  attractive,  particularly  as 
they  were  both  growing  more  in  harmony  with  their 
daughter's  religious  views  and  had  become  regular 
attendants  at  her  church.  Then,  too,  Hannah  and 


336  STEP  BY   STEP 

Jerry  had  unexpectedly  announced  that  they  had 
decided  a  life-long  partnership  would  be  conducive 
to  their  mutual  interests,  and  they  were  looking  for 
a  farm  to  lease,  or  buy,  for  their  future  home. 
Whereupon  Mr.  Richards  suggested  that  the  Wes- 
ton  homestead  be  leased  to  them  for  a  term  of 
years  at  a  moderate  price,  with  the  understanding 
that  the  whole  family  spend  their  summers  there 
as  usual;  and  with  this  arrangement  consummated 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties,  the  Westons  hence- 
forth regarded  themselves  as  part  and  parcel  of  the 
Richards'  household,  each  successive  year  finding 
them  better  pleased  with  the  change. 

Blackbird,  the  colt,  had  long  since  been  sold  at 
a  high  figure  to  a  prominent  Boston  man  who  had 
a  passion  for  fine  horses,  and  the  beautiful  creature 
had  nobly  fulfilled  the  promise  of  its  youth,  never 
showing  any  traces  of  its  early  injury. 

Ponce,  though  grown  hoary  and  venerable  with 
age,  was  still  kindly  cared  for  by  Hannah  and  Jerry 
and  never  lost  his  fondness  for  Louis,  always  mani- 
festing great  joy  whenever  the  latter  paid  a  visit  to 
the  farm. 

Here  we  must  leave  our  friends,  all  of  whom  are 
still  climbing,  step  by  step,  the  rugged  pathway  of 
life,  honestly  striving  to  live  the  love  that  is  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law — that  love  which  must  eventu- 
ally become  the  watchword  of  all  who  follow  after 
them,  until  Louis  Arnold's  ideals  are  made  univer- 
sally practical  and  the  true  brotherhood  of  man  is 
attained. 

THE  END. 


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UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY    AC,  : 


A     000125470     5 


